(
MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 26. The
Azerbaijani
army launched a counter-offensive operation, later
called the "Iron Fist", on September 27, 2020, in response to the
large-scale provocation of the Armenian
armed forces along the
frontline.
The erupted 44-day second Karabakh war ended with the
liberation of Azerbaijan's territories from nearly 30-year Armenian
occupation and the restoration of territorial integrity.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has
addressed the nation.
Trend presents the address:
- Dear fellow compatriots!
The second Karabakh war has been going on for about a month.
This war is a patriotic war for our people. We are liberating our
homeland from occupiers. During this time, the glorious Azerbaijani
Army has liberated many settlements from the enemy. We are
restoring historical justice on the battlefield because
Nagorno-Karabakh is ancient and historical land of Azerbaijan. The
Azerbaijani people have lived and built on these lands for
centuries. We know the history of Karabakh perfectly well. A great
deal of work has been done in recent years to convey this history
to the world community. In general, the world did not have much of
an idea about Azerbaijan in the early 1990s. Armenian lobbying
organizations operating in many countries were able to create a
distorted image in the world, in international public opinion by
circulating false information both about the history of the region
and the history of the conflict. This is why sanctions were imposed
on us even though it was our lands that were occupied, and these
sanctions are still in force. In the early stages of our
independence, the US Congress imposed sanctions on Azerbaijan,
claiming that Azerbaijan is engaged in aggression against Armenia,
and these sanctions are still in force. Can you imagine that? At
that time, Azerbaijani diplomacy could not counter Armenian lies
with any arguments. As a result of consistent work in recent years,
we have informed the world community about the history of Karabakh,
the history of the conflict, and all this work helps us today. The
world already has a more objective view on this issue, a more
objective vision. It is thanks to our tireless efforts that we have
been able to achieve this. I am absolutely right when I say that we
are restoring historical justice. I was able to prove to the whole
world during the live debates at the Munich Security Conference
that this is our historical land. I provided information about the
Kurakchay peace treaty signed at the beginning of the 19th century.
There was no information about this treaty in the world at all.
Unfortunately, there was no extensive information about the
Kurakchay treaty in Azerbaijan either, The Kurakchay peace
agreement was signed by the Khan of Karabakh and Shusha,
Ibrahimkhalil khan, on the other side a general of Tsarist Russia.
This agreement is available on the Internet and everyone can see
it. I am sure that after my words, a large international audience
keenly following the current situation on the battlefield will go
to these sites and see that there is not a word about the Armenian
people in that agreement. The Armenian people were not here at that
time. The Armenian people were brought to our ancestral lands after
the Kurakchay, Gulustan and Turkmenchay peace treaties. They were
deliberately brought and placed in Karabakh, one of the most
fascinating corners of our country, and conditions were created for
them. The objective of this was obvious – to change the religious
composition in the new lands of the empire, to expel Muslims from
their ancestral lands, drive them away and create a new reality.
Unfortunately, they achieved this goal.
After that, the Armenian population was brought en masse from
neighboring countries, settled in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, in
the ancestral lands of the Azerbaijanis, and demonstrating their
typical character, gradually began to take possession of all our
lands. After the Bolshevik revolution in the early 20th century,
there was a great danger that the Bolshevik government would hand
over Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. The Caucasus Bureau has protocols
dated July 1921. It is enough to look at the protocols of the
Caucasus Bureau to see that there was such a threat. But I think
that due to the efforts of Nariman Narimanov and others who
correctly assessed the reality, they could not achieve this goal.
The protocols of the Caucasus Bureau state that Nagorno-Karabakh
should be kept as part of Azerbaijan. During all these years, fake
Armenian scholars and patrons have been trying to prove that Stalin
separated Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia and gave it to Azerbaijan.
This is a lie! Open and look at the protocol of the Caucasus
Bureau, which says that Nagorno-Karabakh should be kept as part of
Azerbaijan! This once again confirms that this is our land.
Unfortunately, after that, the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region
was established, and the region was given a special status. But I
must also say that this was not a republic, but a region. There was
a lower level of self-government. It is enough to look at the
history to see that the Armenians living there had great rights and
opportunities.
In Soviet times, a few years before the conflict, separatist
tendencies were widespread. However, there was no reason for that.
Of the nine members of the bureau, the governing body of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, eight were Armenians and one
was Azerbaijani, and he was the first secretary of the Communist
Party of Shusha district. The first secretary, the head of the
government, the chairman of the parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh were
Armenians. What did they want? Azerbaijan invested so much in that
region, built a railway there in the 1970s, the Sarsang water
reservoir, the Madagiz water reservoir – I have restored its name –
the Sugovushan water reservoir were built. All these investments
were made at the expense of the state budget of Azerbaijan.
however, the Armenians were ungrateful, took advantage of the
situation and of the presence of anti-Azerbaijani leadership in
Moscow, and separatist tendencies emerged in the region. What did
they do prior to that? The Armenians had been making preparations
for that. Heydar Aliyev was the target of these preparations. They
understood perfectly well that the presence of Heydar Aliyev, his
great authority in the Soviet leadership ruined their plans.
Therefore, unfortunately, national traitors from Armenia and other
places, from Azerbaijan were sending numerous anonymous letters to
Moscow and carrying out a smear campaign in order to eliminate the
Heydar Aliyev factor. Less than two weeks after Heydar Aliyev had
resigned from all posts, Armenian separatists rose up and demanded
that Nagorno-Karabakh be separated from Azerbaijan and annexed to
Armenia. This was when the troubles of our people began. An illegal
special committee was set up in Nagorno-Karabakh and an ardent
pro-Armenian man was appointed its head. This, in fact, laid the
groundwork for the secession of Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan.
Unfortunately, the then leaders of Azerbaijan simply observed all
these dangerous events. They could not raise their voice, they did
not have the courage, just kept their head down and did what they
were told to do from Moscow. At that time, the people leading
Azerbaijan did not have a gram of Azerbaijani blood. Although they
were considered Azerbaijanis, they did not have a single gram of
national spirit and were cosmopolitan people. They could not even
speak the Azerbaijani language properly. This is the history of
Nagorno-Karabakh. After that, large-scale military operations were
launched against Azerbaijan and our lands were occupied.
The loss of Shusha and Lachin in May 1992 and the occupation of
Kalbajar in April 1993 created a geographical link between
Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. There was no such connection before.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region had no border with the
Republic of Armenia.
Those tragic events somewhat created a new reality. After that,
the issue was taken over by international mediators and the Minsk
Group was established in 1992. The activities of the Minsk Group
are obvious. After some time, the co-chairs of the Minsk Group
concentrated almost all power in their hands and virtually
monopolized the issue. In fact, the Minsk Group as a group was
paralyzed and the three co-chair countries began to deal with this
issue. But was there a result of that? There was not! There was no
result for us, but there was one for Armenia. Armenia wanted the
negotiations to last forever, Armenia wanted to deceive us forever,
this issue to remain in a frozen state, and our lands to stay under
occupation forever. But what did the Minsk Group do? Was it able to
put pressure on the occupier? No! Did it want to put pressure on
it? No! I have repeatedly raised the issue with them: if you want
to see a solution, impose sanctions on Armenia. All this is in your
hands. You are permanent members of the UN Security Council and can
resolve any issue. In particular, officials of these countries say
that they agree on this issue. This is also an interesting issue.
How is it possible that in all other matters – nuclear weapons, the
situation in the Middle East, the situation in Asia, the situation
in Europe – their interests are completely different? What other
issue do their interests overlap on? None! Only in the issue of
Nagorno-Karabakh. Why? Everyone understands that. This frozen
state, of course, was in everyone's interests except ours – first
of all, in Armenia's interests.
Armenia is conducting illegal settlement on these lands. Has
anyone said a word? No! This crime, this international crime runs
counter to the Geneva Conventions. Does anyone ask them why they
are conducting illegal settlement? And even demonstrate it. You
transfer and place Armenians from Arab countries in our cities,
including Shusha. Nobody says a word. What does this mean? It means
go on, bring them here and settle as many as you want, Armenianize
these lands and erase the cultural heritage of Azerbaijan. That was
the message. Didn't these three countries have the opportunity to
show the aggressor its place? They didn't want to. This reality
suited them.
Therefore, it is impossible to assess the activities of the
Minsk Group otherwise. We were being pushed to accept this
situation, as it were. We were being told that new realities had
emerged and that we must reckon with them. We have created a new
reality. Everyone has to reckon with the new reality now. But what
do we see? Notice what is happening when we began to liberate our
lands from the occupiers. Look at the strong pressure being put on
Azerbaijan from all sides. They have started running around. What
happened? For 28 years, this issue dragged on and they pretended to
be addressing it. They kept coming and going, there were endless
meetings and negotiations. We are fed up with these negotiations.
How long can one negotiate with the enemy? In addition, the enemy
becomes impudent, and they tell us, no, there is no military option
and the issue must be resolved only peacefully. Who says there
isn't? Isn't this a military solution now? What are we doing? We
are single-handedly implementing UN Security Council resolutions
although this is the responsibility of the UN Security Council. We
are doing this alone. We have created a new reality. Reckon with
it! But what do we see? There is a meeting here, a meeting there.
What about the ceasefire? Who has violated the ceasefire? This
means that all their activities are now aimed at saving Armenia, an
aggressor that committed the Khojaly genocide, attacked Ganja with
ballistic missiles from the territory of Armenia. This is their
activity.
As far as the ceasefire is concerned, the first time the
ceasefire entered into force on 10 October. My position was that
this should be of a humanitarian nature, and we agreed to this in
order to exchange the bodies of the dead, hostages and prisoners.
However, less than a day later, Armenia flagrantly and insidiously
violated the ceasefire by bombing Ganja at night. Then, on 17
October, a new ceasefire was declared. And again, Armenia violated
it two minutes later. This morning, at 8 o'clock, a new proposal
came in. But when I inquired about at 9 o'clock in the morning,
Armenia violated the ceasefire a few minutes later by firing on
Tartar district again. However, I have instructed the Azerbaijani
army again to show restraint for the time being and not to succumb
to provocations. My position is known to my people. This issue must
be resolved either by military or by peaceful means. I suggested:
if you want a peaceful solution, well, we will stop. But we must be
told immediately that Armenia is leaving our lands. A timetable
should be provided – after how many days they would leave a
particular district, after how many days they would leave the next
district and after how many days they would leave other districts.
A timetable should be provided. Has Armenia provided this
timetable? It has not. This being the case, if the ceasefire
continues and the issue remains frozen again, this cannot suit us.
This is the first thing.
Secondly, we have accurate information that Armenia is already
on its knees on the battlefield and simply wants to take advantage
of the ceasefire to mobilize its resources again, wants to re-arm
and pursue a new policy of aggression against us. There is such
information and, unfortunately, over the past month, weapons,
various types of weapons have been supplied to Armenia in large
quantities. We have all the lists. Some of them have been published
in our media. There is a whole list of when and what plane arrived,
where it arrived, what it brought, how it was offloaded and where
the cargo was sent? Then why are those interested in a ceasefire
sending weapons to Armenia? After all, Armenia is already on its
knees. We have already hit it on the head so that it can hardly
recover. The prime minister of Armenia, who danced in a drunken
state on Jidirduzu and behaved like a great commander, now falls at
everyone's feet asking for help, begging for assistance,
humiliating himself and humiliating his people. Just don't give
them weapons and it will be over. Don't give them weapons. Who
gives anything to us? Nobody! Don't give them weapons. If you want
this to end, don't give them weapons. He will surely come round in
a couple of days. On the one hand, there is talk of a ceasefire,
but on the other, weapons are being sent to them. What is this? Are
we supposed to be silent about this?
The people of Azerbaijan should know everything. For 17 years in
my capacity as President, I have always told the truth to the
Azerbaijani people – always. I regularly report to the people on
all the issues. And I am doing that to this day. This may not be
complete information because there are certain diplomatic rules.
However, whatever can be said, I say to the Azerbaijani people and
the whole world. If you want to save Armenia, tell it to leave our
lands, get away immediately! Let this jester, who danced in Shusha,
on Jidirduzu, in a drunken state declare that he is leaving.
Calling world leaders five or six times a day will not solve the
problem. Our position remains unchanged, we are defending the truth
and justice.
I would like to touch upon another issue. The legal framework
for the settlement of the conflict is quite broad. We have expanded
this framework. Today, there are not only UN Security Council
resolutions, but also other documents. The UN General Assembly has
adopted a resolution, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation, the European Parliament and other
organizations. The document we have initialed with the European
Union contains a special provision on the sovereignty of our
country, the inviolability of our borders and territorial
integrity. In other words, it is a legal framework that allows us
the opportunity to teach the enemy a lesson on the battlefield, to
drive them away, to remove them from our lands. But look at what is
going on lately? The Minsk Group co-chairing countries have
convened a meeting of the UN Security Council. They have done it
once before. Apparently, the document adopted there did not satisfy
them. This time, a few days ago, we heard about the appearance of a
new document. We immediately took action and prevented the adoption
of this document even though the three co-chair countries exerted
great pressure on other members of the UN Security Council.
What was the purpose of this? The goal is very clear – to
overshadow the resolutions adopted in 1993 demanding the withdrawal
of the Armenian armed forces from our lands, to leave them in the
past so that they lose their power and significance. This was the
goal. How fair is this? We saw further attempts to provide support
to the occupier. What is the result? It did not pass. How? The
member countries of the Non-Aligned Movement stood up like real men
and did not allow this to happen, they supported us – I say thank
you to them. And this happened despite the fact that they came
under pressure and may have even been threatened. But they stood up
like men for us just as we stand up for them. This shows that
nothing will work. My dear brother, the President of the Republic
of Turkey has repeatedly said that the world is bigger than five
countries. And he is absolutely right. This vote proved it. They
joined their forces and put forward another document that meets the
interests of Armenia, but it did not work out.
Because justice prevailed. No matter how hard they tried,
justice prevailed. Justice and international law are on our side.
Therefore, we will continue to go our own way. If they want a
ceasefire, then let them tell the occupying state to go away, to
leave our lands. Otherwise, we will go to the end, all the way. And
we will continue to drive the enemy away, as we have been doing.
They are already running away from us and we will continue to chase
them. Because we are right and we are strong.
As I have been saying for the past few years, the world is not
the same any longer. The force factor comes to the fore and this
was not done by us. Take a look – do large states reckon with
international law today? No! Do they reckon with the UN Security
Council? No! Everyone does what they want in their places, one
enters there, another one enters there, the third one divides some
territories. There is no semblance of international law. So why
should we defend it? We are defending it anyway and are not taking
steps outside the law. We are not entering the territory of
Armenia, we are restoring the territories recognized by the
international community. If the permanent members of the UN
Security Council, the co-chairs of the Minsk Group could not do
this, then let them step aside and not interfere. Unlike Armenia,
we do not ask anyone for help. Let them not interfere and test the
patience of the Azerbaijani people. This war will end tomorrow and
we will achieve our goal. What will our relationship be like? Will
the Azerbaijani people forget this injustice? They will not. Let
them give this a thought. Today, Azerbaijan is not a state the
interests of which can be ignored. No! The day will come when they
will come here with requests and proposals, including those on
cooperation. How will they look in our eyes? They have mobilized
all their forces against us today. I have been putting up with this
for a month, a whole month. I was silent about it, but we are fed
up. This is the first thing.
Second, the mediator must be neutral. If it is not impartial,
then it should give up its candidacy. If a mediator is not neutral,
then it cannot be a mediator. The mediating countries should now
come up with new functions for themselves. What will they do? They
can no longer talk about the liberation of five districts. Where
are these five districts now? Four of them are already with us.
This question is already in the past, it is over. We have taken
them back ourselves – Fuzuli, Zangilan, Jabrayil, Gubadli. Most of
these districts are with us. We also have a part of the former
Hadrut and currently Khojavand district. So let them think.
We are not against negotiations. As a result of yesterday's
talks in the United States, the decision was made to hold a meeting
between the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Geneva
in a few days. I don't mind that, let them meet. Over the course of
these 28 years, there have been so many useless meetings, so there
is no difference. I do not mean to say that I regard this meeting
as useless. No. We want it to make sense. And this should speed up
the settlement of the conflict. The patrons of Armenia, I appeal to
you: if you want to save this fake state, tell it to get out. One
word of yours is enough for it to get out – just one word. If
Armenia is not provided with financial, economic, military and
political support, will it be able to stand on its feet? No! I will
provide the Azerbaijani people with some data on their equipment we
have destroyed. Everyone can count this, go online, see the cost of
this equipment and ask a question. Where does this poor and
impoverished country get all this? Where does this money come from
in a country that is mired in problems? We have already destroyed
so much of their equipment and they are still bringing more. Never
mind, let them bring it, they know better.
This is our position at this stage, and we are ready to resolve
this issue by military-political means. But it must be resolved.
The ceasefire has been declared, alright, let there be a ceasefire.
Armenia has violated it, we are recording every violation, every
single one. I have given the instruction to record every violation.
This information is immediately sent to the OSCE representative and
other countries interested in the ceasefire, so that they can see
how many times the Armenians have violated it. We have all the
data. A military-political solution should resolve the issue of
restoring the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
As for the future of the Armenians who were settled on our
ancestral lands 200 years ago, I have said that they are our
citizens too. They must also get rid of this junta. If they cannot
save themselves, we will help them. Didn't the new government of
Armenia represented by Pashinyan say that those who governed
Armenia are criminals? I was saying exactly the same. What happens
if those who governed the country before Pashinyan for 20 years
were criminals? What is this country then? It is a criminal
country. The two ex-presidents also headed the junta in Karabakh
and then led Armenia. A criminal case has been opened against both.
They are criminals who sucked the blood of the Armenians living in
Karabakh. Where did they get so much property, wealth and fortune?
Where? They got it by sucking the blood of the Armenian people. So
I repeat: the people living in Nagorno-Karabakh are our citizens.
The Azerbaijani people are tolerant. These people are not to blame.
Whoever is to blame is being brought to account, and I said that
the blood of the Azerbaijani people would not remain unavenged. The
criminals who committed the Khojaly genocide have already been
destroyed in the battles that have lasted for a month. Justice has
prevailed. Therefore, I want to reiterate my position. We will
definitely return to these lands by military-political means. The
military stage may end today. We will resolve the issue
politically. Azerbaijanis will return to Shusha, Azerbaijanis will
return to Khankandi. They will return to all other places where
they used to live. Conditions will be created for the Armenian
population. We must gradually learn to live together, both them and
us. I see it this way, and my approach is based both on the norms
of morality and on the norms of international law. Armenia wants to
drive us out of there, then to carry out ethnic cleansing, to
Armenianize our sites, to settle Armenians from abroad. Pashinyan,
you wanted to build a road to Jabrayil? So? Where is this road? You
wanted to build a parliament building in Shusha? So? It all went to
hell.
I want to say again that no force can make us deviate from our
path. Successes on the battlefield have created a new reality at
the negotiating table.
Now I want to share some information with my dear people. I am
presenting a list of the enemy's equipment and military booty we
have destroyed and taken over since 27 September. So 252 tanks have
been destroyed, 53 tanks have been taken as booty – in total
Armenia has lost 305 tanks. But they still have more. Look how many
tanks they had. Fifty infantry fighting vehicles have been
destroyed, 29 have been taken as booty – a total of 79 units. Then,
251 guns of various calibers have been destroyed, 24 have been
taken as booty – 275 in total. Sixty-one mortars have been
destroyed, 45 were taken as booty – 106 in total. Fifty-three
anti-tank weapons have been destroyed, 82 Grad installations have
been destroyed. Two units of "Hurricane" multiple launch rocket
system have been destroyed. One "TOS" unit has been destroyed, four
anti-aircraft missile systems "TOR", about 40 "OSA" installations,
four "KUB" complexes, one "KRUG", two "S-125" have been destroyed.
Six S-300 launchers, one of the most expensive launchers, have been
destroyed. One detection station and one locator. The price is well
known. Everyone can count this. We have destroyed two "Elbrus" and
one "Tochka-U" operational-tactical missile systems. Trucks – 231
trucks have been destroyed, including 20 with ammunition, 173
trucks have been taken as booty. In total, we have deprived the
enemy of 404 trucks.
Now I will ask the question again. I will keep asking this
question every time. I will keep asking it until there is an
answer. Where does this money come from? Let the pro-Armenian
observers, mediators, political scientists tell where it comes
from. We have money and everything is transparent. The people of
Azerbaijan know how much money we have, the world knows, everyone
knows. We are buying it with our own money. We don't depend on
anyone. How did this bankrupt country buy this? Armenia's external
debt is about $8 billion. Foreign exchange reserves amount to $1.5
billion. In fact, these are not free funds. These are bank
reserves. They cannot use them. If they use it, then their
so-called currency will fly somersaults. Who gave you so many
weapons? Why doesn't anyone ask? During this month, I give
interviews every day. They ask me what Turkish F-16s are doing in
Azerbaijan. I am tired of answering. Open up satellite images,
can't you see what they are doing? Go and see what F-16s are doing.
Are they in the air or on the ground? Everyone knows that they are
on the ground. They arrived for exercises and stayed behind when
the war broke out. Our Turkish brothers left them here to give us
moral support. But if we are attacked from outside, they will see
these F-16s. There are only five or six planes left at the airport
and they ask about it every time. I answer these questions. But ask
Armenia too, ask those who give them weapons. Ask these questions –
why are you giving Armenia weapons? Have they been paid for? Do the
citizens of the countries producing these weapons know how much of
their goods was lost in a matter of one month? Do they know how
much weaponry we have destroyed? No journalist asks me this
question. Isn't this interesting? It is interesting. Never mind. We
are already accustomed to the fact that for all these years,
slander, lies and fabrications against Azerbaijan have shown no
sign of abating. Both foreign media and the Azerbaijani people see
that I am answering all these questions and answering them
properly. And I do not stoop to their level. Never! I answer them
properly and they are silenced. They cannot answer. I say – go look
in the mirror. Did you come here to blame us? They don't ask
questions, they act like a prosecutor, accuse us. Who are you? I
respect journalists a lot. Therefore, they take advantage of that.
I speak to them in a calm manner. But they should know that I can
talk to them in any form. This is a reality. This reality is
against us. But we have changed this reality. These new lists show
again that we have changed this reality.
Now, it is with great satisfaction and pride that I will bring
to the attention of my people the list the Azerbaijani people are
looking forward to. So I am informing my dear people of the list of
settlements liberated yesterday. The following villages have been
liberated in Zangilan district: First Alibayli, Second Alibayli,
Raband, Yenikand. Liberated villages of Jabrayil district:
Govshudlu, Sofulu, Dagh Mashanli, Kurdlar, Hovuslu, Chalabilar. The
settlements of Gubadli district liberated yesterday: Padar,
Afandilar, Yusifbayli, Chaytumas, Khanlig, Sariyatag, Mollaburkhan
and the city of Gubadli!
I already shared this good news with the Azerbaijani people
yesterday. I want to convey this joyful news to the entire
Azerbaijani people again. It is a great honor for me to bring
joyful news to the residents of Zangilan, Jabrayil and Gubadli
districts who lived in these villages. True, there is nothing left
of these villages. But never mind, we will restore them. Both the
Azerbaijani people and the state have enough strength to do that.
If only our lands were free. If only our flag was raised in all the
liberated lands. We are liberating these lands at the cost of the
life and blood of our soldiers and officers. We have asserted
ourselves both on the battlefield and on the political plane, we
have asserted ourselves in the world. We have asserted the
Azerbaijani people as a proud people, as a brave people, as an
invincible people. No pressure can affect us. No threat can turn us
off our path because we are on a fair path, we are united like a
fist. This unity is eternal and will be eternal!
Dear compatriots, I promised you on the first days of the war
that we would drive the enemy away from our lands, drive them away
to the end. Karabakh is ours! Karabakh is Azerbaijan!
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