The answer of Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian to the questions of Tert.am news agency
Question: Baku and Ankara use different international platforms to continue their propaganda campaign, using so-called Khojaly events. How would you comment that?
Answer: Most probably, the slogan “one nation two states” implies to one propaganda two loudspeakers.
Khojaly is used as a propaganda tool that pursues several purposes.
First, it is obvious that Ankara and Baku act against the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. By spreading fabricated accusations claiming that there were atrocities committed by Armenians, they try to justify their century-old policy of denialism, spreading falsification that purportedly Armenians are not the victims, but the alleged perpetrators – not the ones that were massacred, but the ones who killed, and other such egregious lies.
Second, the 30th anniversary of Sumgait pogroms and the memory of the Armenians who fell victims of that crime, are commemorated in different corners of the world. In this regard the zealous joint efforts of Baku and Ankara are aimed at shadowing the international resonance of the events dedicated to the commemoration of that anniversary.
Baku replicates Turkey’s vast experience in the policy of denialism being guided by the Turkish practice of organizing Gallipoli events on April 24th of 2015, which were aimed at distracting the attention of the international community from the commemoration of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide.
Third, following Ankara’s example, Baku in its turn tries to adopt an image of victim, claiming as if its people were subjected to violence, and thus portraying itself as the side that has suffered. In Baku`s opinion it might bring some dividends.
Fourth, Azerbaijan attempts to distract the attention and escape responsibility for the committed massacres against Armenians not only in Sumgait, but also in Baku, Kirovabad, Maragha and elsewhere.
Fifth, the authorities of Azerbaijan have conducted a targeted anti-Armenian propaganda, they have radicalized their society trying to consolidate the latter in the fight against the so called enemy. This has been reflected in numerous reports of the prominent international organisations. On the one hand Azerbaijan has used this propaganda to distract the attention of its society from the internal situation, and on the other hand it is exploited as a propaganda weapon against the Armenian sides in the conflict zone, to inspire the army with bellicosity, but actually inciting them to commit crimes. This was particularly vivid in April of 2016, when the blatant violations of the humanitarian law have been committed against the civilians and captured soldiers.
Baku spends millions for this multilayered propaganda, but it is impossible to veil the truth even under so many layers.
Even the name of Khojaly, given to this propaganda campaign, doesn’t have anything to do with the reality, because the residents of Khojaly, using the provided humanitarian corridor, moved several kilometers away from that settlement to Aghdam region, which was controlled by the Azerbaijani armed groups and this was where they were killed. All these have been proven by the Azerbaijani sources, the testimonies of the Khojaly survivors, independent eyewitnesses and journalists. The then President of Azerbaijan was among those who accused not the Armenian side but Azerbaijani armed groups in the killings of Khojaly inhabitants amid the internal struggle for power in Azerbaijan.
The attempts of Azerbaijan to avoid the responsibility are in vain; sooner or later they will be held accountable.