THE FAIRY TALE OF OCCUPIED 20 PERCENT OF LANDS AND 1 MILLION REFUGEES

In 1993 June 18 after two successive coups Heydar Aliyev, former Communist leader of Azerbaijan came to power by ousting the legitimately elected Abulfaz Elchibey who fled to his native Nakhichevan. Before the coup Armenian forces in Nagorno Karabagh had taken under their complete control the region of Kubatli (802 sq. km), Jebrail (1,050 sq km), and Zangelan (797 sq. km), also parts of Aghdam (383 sq. km) and Fizuli (347 sq. km).

In 1993 April Armenian forces of Karabagh had taken under their control Kelbajar region (1, 845 sq. km). If we sum these figures, we shall receive 7,060; that is the Karabagh forces are holding under their control 7,060 sq. km of Azerbaijani territory out of the total 86,600. If the official Baku’s assertions that Armenians have occupied 20- percent of Azeri lands are true, then according to simple calculations, Karabagh Armenian forces should have had under their control 17,320 sq. km. The same calculations show that Karabagh forces control only 8 percent of Azeri lands. Of course, Heydar Aliyev also includes Nagorno Karabagh proper (4,33368 sq. km) into Azerbaijani land, but even if this figure is added to 7,060 we shall get 11,400 sq. km, which makes not 20 percent of the Azerbaijani total territory, but only 13 percent. We should not forget that parts of Martuni and Mardakert regions, which are part of Nagorno Karabagh, about 15 percent, are under Azeri control.

Aliyev has succeeded in convincing the international community that Karabagh forces have seized 20 percent of its lands, which, due to the Armenian authorities’ inactivity has become an axiom for the international community.
Now about another assertion by Aliyev that there are 1 million Azeri refugees. Not to be accused of partiality we shall use only information from official Azeri sources. In 1989-1990 219,776 Azeris moved from Armenia to Azerbaijan. From Karabagh and adjacent regions another 568,989 people fled (part of them were Kurds). The total figure was 788,765 people. This means that 1 million, presented by Aliyev is inflated. Over the same time some 400,000 Armenians were compelled to flee Azerbaijan, including 220,000 from Baku. The world does not know about them as neither the administration of ex-president Ter-Petrosian nor the administration of current president Kocharian are trying to capitalize on it. Of course, exploiting the tragedy of the deported Armenians cannot be approved from the moral point of view, but from the point of politics it is quite justified and Aliyev has practically proved it. But what we, the Armenian journalists are doing, especially those who frequently travel to foreign countries. Part of Armenian reporters have no idea about the fairy tale of the 20 percent of the occupied Azeri lands and 1 million Azeri refugees , the other part is doing all they could to describe president Kocharian as a dictator. The same was true regarding ex-Armenian president.

Armenians when fleeing from Azerbaijan left behind 75,000 apartments and mansions, unlike Azeris in Armenia who were smart enough to sell their houses to Armenians. These 75,000 flats can accommodate 219,776 Azeri refugees from Armenia in addition to another 300,000.
“Part of refugees enjoy a set of privileges, especially those from Armenia and they even live in better conditions than many local Azeris,” Irada Huseinova, an Azeri journalist writes, adding that during 1990 Armenian pogroms in Baku Azeri refugees from Armenia were occupying the apartments of Armenians.

Existence of refugees is a trump card in the hands of Aliyev in any election. Refugees exclusively “vote” for Aliyev. Having 1 million refugees helps Aliyev justify the lamentable socio-economic conditions of his country. In turn the international community sends regularly humanitarian aid in great quantities, another source for Aliyev’s clan to increase their fortunes.
But along with this, Aliyev does not take into account an important factor, another ten years and only few of the refugees would like to go back to their previous settlements. Is this profitable for Armenia? Yes. If Armenia is able to populate those areas. These lands have never been Azerbaijan’s. Azeris know that Kelbajar (Armenian Karvachar), Lachin (Berdzor) and Jebrail (Kovsakan) are historical Armenian lands. And who says that Azeris and Armenians are not able to live peacefully, side by side on those lands.