Opinion Conflict Analysis by Taleen Ghareeb, Staff Writer

October 8th, 2020

Nagorno-Karabakh — an expanse of green and a picturesque topography, now known as Artsakh, which traces back to 5th century BC, among the oldest standing civilisations in the world. For the second time this year, conflicts have seized the region once again, and this time, tensions have risen to the extent that Armenia decided to mobilise its military. Perhaps a brief look into the historical narrative could help in understanding why the war refuses to go away.

 

A brief history:

Armenian presence dates back roughly three thousand years. For several centuries, Nagorno-Karabakh was under the rule of several conquerors, but withheld its Armenian essence. Once the Russian-Persian War of 1804-1813 ended, the Gulistan treaty of 1813 allowed Russia’s control over the South Caucasus, meaning Nagorno-Karabakh was annexed to Russia.

Once upon a time, Armenia and muslim communities (now designated as Azerbaijan) lived as peaceful neighbors. After the collapse of the Russian Empire, Nagorno-Karabakh became an independent political unit, with its own congress, National Council and government. However, the Armenia-Azeri relations soured after Azerbaijan launched a military attack on Armenia.

During the Soviet era, despite the legal unification of Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenian SSR, Stalin forced the incorporation of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan. Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh have since experienced ethnic cleansing and the destruction of Armenian monuments and cultural values at the hands of Azerbaijan. 95% of the population of the region was once Armenian in 1923, plummeting to around 76% by 1989. (1)

 

Nagorno-Karabakh today:

Last week, Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire with Armenia and has declared a state of war. Armenia has since then responded by declaring martial law. Such a violent escalation has not occurred since April 2016.

 

Who are the major players in this game?

Naturally, this long “frozen” Christian-Muslim conflict has created a division in supporting parties. Russia, France, the United States have called for a ceasefire, while Turkey sided with Azerbaijan.

Months back, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan claimed in a speech: “We will continue to fulfils this mission, which our grandfathers have carried out for centuries, in the Caucasian again,”(2) implying that he will finish the Armenian Genocide. He also added that Turkey will not hesitate to side with Azerbaijan. Knowing Turkey’s undeniable history of attempts to wipe out the people of Armenia, this did not come as a surprise. But truly, this only further confirmed that this was not an Armenian-Azeri conflict.

French President Emanuel Macron publicly stated: “France remains extremely concerned by the warlike messages Turkey had in the last hours […]. And that we won’t accept.”(3) Erdoğan’s warlike rhetoric was, in fact, encouraging the conflict. This has opened the floor for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, who called for immediate ceasefire. Pope Francis himself appealed for peace and negotiations to end the conflict.

This war has undeniably affected many Armenian families, who have experienced injustices for centuries to no end. And it is critical to recognise the pain of Armenian diaspora, particularly the Armenian community residing in Lebanon.

Armenians in Lebanon are Lebanese of Armenien descent, meaning they are Lebanese as much as they are Armenian. Their hearts are equally devoted to both their nations and they continue to show their support for both.

 

So what is it like to be Lebanese-Armenian?

On August 4th, Beirut experienced one of the biggest tragedies in history. An explosion at the port destroyed Lebanon’s capital city, killing over 190 people, injuring nearly 7,000 and leaving over 300,000 people homeless. Not even 2 months later, flare-ups between Armenia and Azerbaijan turned into a full-blown war. With shocking threats to finally complete the genocide, violent attacks bombard the surviving nation of Armenia once again. 

 

The Phoenix Daily asked 5 Lebanese-Armenians for their testimonies, and despite their struggle to transform their feelings into words, the results were both absolutely painful and inspirational.

 

Jenny Ayvazian:

On August 4th it was exactly 6:05 pm when I left the house to go out. I had a dance class to teach at 6:30. I turned on the car and just as I was getting ready to drive, I saw my dad running towards me and screaming “get out of the car now!” then I heard the big explosion. If I had left the house 5 minutes earlier, I could’ve been severely injured or dead. I was diagnosed with mild PTSD. 

2 weeks after the explosion, my family and I heard the news that there is a plane repatriating Armenians back to their homeland for free. I started thinking that maybe I’d be safer there, but other families might need it more than I do. Fast forward to September 27th. I remember I woke up that afternoon and checked my phone: “Azerbaijan is striking Artsakh and targeting civilians in Stepanakert, Armenia has announced martial law”. I texted my family and friends who live in Armenia to see that some of them are either going as volunteers or being enlisted. I was in an existential crisis. Both my countries were collapsing. Lebanon is in an economic crisis that keeps getting worse, and Armenia is under attack by barbarians who want to finish what they started in 1915. I am so devastated to see this happening to my homes. There really aren’t any words to describe how awful it is to see both your nationalities, your homes in despair. My mom’s high school friends are all on the frontlines fighting for their lives and right to exist. My parents are constantly checking the news. I try to distract myself. But every time they read the martyrs names on TV, I always listen carefully to see if I recognise a name. That’s what our lives have become. A constant feeling of deep sadness where your sense of belongingness in your 2 countries is stronger than ever, yet it pains you more than ever.

 

Ralph Hazouri:

Being both Lebanese and Armenian, I love both my identities. However, understanding the struggles that Armenia continues to endure and knowing that there are bad people out there that wish to wipe out my heritage, I feel more naturally inclined and devoted to Armenia. It is absolutely disgusting and heartbreaking to listen to this monster publicly and proudly announce that he will be finishing what his grandparents started. I want the world to know that Armenians only wish for their right to exist. Imagine a population of only 3 million against over 90 million [Turkey and Azerbaijan combined]. Armenians all over the world are returning to Armenia to defend their heritage, including my close friends and family. Our women are even being deployed to help our soldiers. The Prime Minister’s wife is even fighting on the frontlines.

I can’t even use the word ‘heartbroken’. It underestimates what I am feeling right now. What more do they want? We left our home. We were forced to build a new, safer one. We lost and continue to lose innocent lives. We are deploying our men and women to the frontlines now to, for the millionth time, protect our nation from an ethnic wipeout. We survived centuries of ethnic cleansing and conflict. We survived a mass genocide. We will survive a war. Survival is now a part of our blood.

As for my Lebanese identity, the current state in Lebanon has already left a pain in my heart. And truly, I fear for Lebanon more than Armenia. Armenia’s leaders will die for their nation. Lebanese politicians would rather watch and enjoy the suffering of their people from their pedestals. As long as they have money and power, another port explosion is nothing to them.

 

Serly Der Pilibossian

I woke up on September 25th and saw videos of Syrian militants heading to Azerbaijan sent by Turkey to fight against my motherland “Armenia”. Two days after, Azerbaijan launched heavy attacks on Artsakh and even killed civilians. Feelings of worry, anger, and frustration directly hit me and I just can’t really express my feelings well at this point. The worst feeling is when you want to help, you want to do something, just anything to stop it, but your hands are tied. My family and I are trying to raise awareness through social media. Moreover, my brother all the way from the U.S. has raised money and bought lots of necessities to help our soldiers, he has also put his name on the volunteer list to go and fight if needed.  

I love my people. It’s incredible how the nation, the soldiers and the civilians all become one in times like these, where they fight together in order to protect their land and this is the reason why we are unbreakable. I have so much sadness in me especially after all that happened in my homeland, “Lebanon”, such as the August 4 blast. Both of my countries are suffering at the moment, which aches my heart. However, if there is one thing that I have learned from being Armenian/Lebanese is that no matter how bad it gets, we will survive and rise again stronger from where they left us. Finally, I am beyond proud to hold these two nationalities.

 

Jad Panjarian:

Being Lebanese with an Armenian background, I definitely was impacted by the news that Azerbaijan went all out against my beloved Hayastan. Although I might not seem too attached to my Armenian heritage - due to being inclined towards my Lebanese side - I could not but cherish every second I have this heritage deeply rooted in my blood. A small piece of land heavily bombarded from two oppositions surrounding it, and it still is able to maintain stability and power over them. Why? Being Armenian is not limited to nationality, it is spirituality. A priest even said: "these soldiers love their land more than I believe in God." If that doesn't move you, I don't know what might. With the on-going economic, political, humanitarian, and social crises, Lebanon reached its peak of threshold when the August 4 Beirut Port explosion occurred. Then wildfires devoured the country, then armed clashes between militia groups... numerous problematic events. As a Lebanese-Armenian, living under this constant fear, the war against the Azeris is definitely a breaking point for me and many others. Too much happened in so little time.

 

Vicky Kachkorian

It breaks my heart to see both of my homes being destroyed. I don’t really feel like I belong anywhere, it’s depressing and super sad to see how evil some leaders can be and how much damage they can cause to a whole nation just for their personal interests. But on the bright side, Armenians aren’t the type to adapt quickly like the Lebanese, they won't give up and are standing together and fighting! Men, women and even our own President of Artsakh stated that he is willing to go to the fight. Honestly, each person has a tolerance for injustice. My eldest sister was present in Mar Mikhael during the Beirut Blast. She lost her car and was traumatised. Strangely enough, on the 8th of August, we had an appointment with the Armenian embassy to apply for the passports. Was it our salvation path? Or are we stuck again between 2 destroyed homes?

 

What is Erdoğan trying to achieve?

In the past, Erdoğan has expressed hope for good relations with the European Union after reversing Mustafa Kamal Ataturk’s successful anchoring of Turkey in Europe and the West. Europe’s refusal of mending their relations forced Erdoğan to redirect his focus towards Asia and Africa, particularly the Arab nations. Erdoğan’s attempts to revive the Ottoman-Islamic caliphate was met with refusal. So his alternative was to fulfil what his ancestors have long craved: the cultural and political unification of all Turkic people. This means the extension of Turkey’s borders all the way to Mongolia, through exterminating the Christians of Armenia.

His ‘warlike rhetoric’, as the French President described it, has granted Erdoğan the title of the “Turkish Hitler” by Armenians. He and his ancestors’ ongoing attempts at exterminating what was left of Armenia could inarguably be paralleled with Nazi Germany’s systemic murder of European Jews and other minorities. In 2018, Erdoğan even used Hitler as a positive role model for his constitutional reforms.(4) But unlike Hitler, whose reign has ended, Erdoğan proudly wears his ancestor’s history like a medal of honor and keeps their crimes alive today.

This conflict will not end with peaceful negotiations. Azerbaijan has proved time and time again that they will keep violating the ceasefire and attempt to claim Nagorno-Karabakh as their own. And although it may seem like an Armenian-Azeri conflict, it is in fact Erdoğan’s war. He snaked his way to excuse his aggressions towards the people of Armenia in the name of supporting brother Azerbaijan. The international response directed an end of ceasefire to Azerbaijan, to which Erdoğan himself responded, forbidding any international intervention.

 

 

References:

1)Artsakh Republic: History and Current Reality. Retrieved from https://www.president.am/en/Artsakh-nkr/

2)ANCA - Armenian National Committee of America (Jul 22, 2020). #Erdogan - threatening to finish the #Armenian #Genocide - pledges arms and aid to #Azerbaijan, sending a chilling warning to #Armenia and the at-risk #Armenian population still with territory of present-day Turkey. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/ANCA_DC/status/1286024085022150662?s=20

3)Macron criticises Turkey’s “warlike” rhetoric on Nagoro-Karabakh (2020, September 30). Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/armenia-azerbaijan-france-int-idUSKBN26L19T?taid=5f7465424af5f1000170a232&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

4)Spencer, R. (2016, January 01). Turkey's president says all he wants is same powers as Hitler. Retrieved October 05, 2020, from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/12077703/Turkeys-president-says-all-he-wants-is-same-powers-as-Hitler.html

5)Antoine Kanaan (2020, October 03). قره باغ (ارتساخ) قضية قومية وابعاد جيوسياسية. Retrieved from http://lebanonlawreview.org/artsakh-strong/