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FACT SHEET: NAGORNO-KARABAGHFACT SHEET: NAGORNO-KARABAGHARMENIAN RESEARCH CENTERThe University of Michigan-DearbornDearborn, MI 48128The Autonomous Region of Mountainous Karabagh (also known inAmerica as Nagorno-Karabagh) recently declared independence fromAzerbaijan because of continued persecution, oppression, and humanand civil rights violations by the Azeri Turks. It was attached toAzerbaijan as an Autonomous Region by Joseph Stalin in 1921 and hassuffered under Azeri rule from that time onward.Mountainous Karabagh had a pre-war population of approximately200,000 people, 77% of whom were Christian Armenians. Theremaining 23% were mainly Muslim Azeri Turks. Nagorno-Karabagh'scapital is Stepanakert. It has an area of about 1,700 squaremiles, slightly smaller than the state of Delaware. On December 10, 1991, Nagorno-Karabagh held an independencereferendum in which 82% of all voters participated, and 99% votedfor independence. On January 6, 1992, the leaders of Nagorno-Karabagh declaredindependence as the Republic of Mountainous Karabagh (RMK). On January 8, 1992, Artur Mkrtchian was elected President andOleg Yessaian as Prime Minister of Karabagh by Karabagh'sParliament. Note that this Presidency is not an independent officesuch as in the United States. On January 24, 1992, Karabagh's Parliament elected GeorgiPetrosian to the office of Vice President. On April 14, Artur Mkrtchian died in an accidental weaponsmisfire. Georgi Petrosian became acting President. On May 8, the Karabagh Defense Forces took Shushi, a city inKarabagh overlooking Stepanakert, from which the Azeris had beenshelling Stepanakert. On May 18, the Karabagh Defense Forces took Lachin andconnected Karabagh to Armenia, thus breaking the Azeri economicblockade on Karabagh (however, Armenia's situation was not muchbetter since it too was—and still is—under Azeri blockade). On June 12, following the June 7 election of Abulfez Elchibeyas President of Azerbaijan, the Azeris launched a massive offensivethat seized almost half of Karabagh by September. Beginning inlate fall, the Karabagh Defense Forces retook nearly all of theseterritories and restored the political integrity of Karabagh bylate March 1993. On March 27, 1993, the Karabagh Defense Forces, to forestallan Azeri spring offensive, launched attacks at two strategic Azericities, Kelbajar and Fizuli. They took Kelbajar on April 3, butwere unable to take Fizuli. The capture of Kelbajar gave Karabagha new connection to Armenia. On June 14, acting President Georgi Petrosian resigned asArmenian President Levon Ter Petrosian travels to Stepanakert topersuade the Presidium of Karabagh's Parliament to accept a newCSCE peace plan, which it does by a vote of 6 to 5. Garen Baburianbecame the new acting President. June through August 1993 was a time of confusion inAzerbaijan as Surat Huseinov led a revolt against Elchibey; HaidarAliyev became the new President of Azerbaijan; and a short-livedMughan-Talish Republic was declared in Lenkoran, a port city nearthe Iranian border. July 23 to September 4 1993, Karabagh Defense Forces takeAgdam, Fizuli, Jebrail, and Horadiz (although Horadiz keepschanging hands), thus taking the war to the rest of Azerbaijan. From December 22, 1993, to November 1994, the re-formed Azeriarmy, stiffened by Turkish and MegaOil (renegade Americans)training; Ukrainian, Turkish, and Chinese weaponry; and Afghanmujaheddin, launched new unsuccessful attacks on Karabagh. In May of 1994 a tenuous cease-fire went into effect, which isstill holding today. December 28, 1994, The Karabagh Parliament created anindependent Presidency such as in the United States and electedRobert Kocharian to fill it the next day.Historical Background: Historically Armenian, Nagorno-Karabagh was connected to Armenia inancient times, a connection that was lost after the division of theArmenian Kingdom in 387 AD. With the rise of Islam in the seventhcentury, Karabagh fell under Arab rule, where it stayed for 300years.In the eleventh century, Karabagh came under the rule of theBagratid Kings of Georgia, relatives of the Armenian Bagratids, whoheld it until the Mongol invasion. After 100 years of Mongol rule,Karabagh fell into Turkish hands, where it stayed until thePersians took power in the early 1600s.In 1603, Shah Abbas the Great of Persia allowed local Armenian rulein Karabagh under five meliks (kings). These five kinglets,later joined—but not supplanted—by a Muslim khanate, survived untilthe Russian conquest of Karabagh in 1828.Under Russian rule, a deliberate effort was made to link Karabagheconomically with the "Baku Province," later to be namedAzerbaijan. With the withdrawal of Russian power following theRussian democratic revolution in February/March of 1917, Karabaghreemerged as a state, governed by the Assembly of KarabaghArmenians. The Azerbaijanis, who were trying to organize their own state,contested the Armenians' right to rule Karabagh, even though it wasoverwhelmingly Armenian. The Azeris first turned for help to theBritish occupation force led by General Dunsterville, then to theOttoman army under Nuri Pasha, and finally to the RussianBolsheviks. With foreign aid, they won out.Soviet Period: At first the Soviets returned Nagorno-Karabagh to Armenia; butafter a brief period, Joseph Stalin gave it to Azerbaijan as an"autonomous region," and altered the boundaries so that Karabaghwas cut off from Armenia and was smaller in size.The next 70-plus years witnessed Azeri persecution of Armenians inan attempt to drive them out and replace them with Azeris, as wasdone in the Armenian territory of Nakhichevan. In the Gorbachev era of glasnost, the Armenians brought thepersecution of their brethren to the world's attention throughmassive peaceful demonstrations in Yerevan, the capital city ofArmenia, in February 1988.By openly and bravely protesting Soviet ethnic injustice for thefirst time, the reform movement in Nagorno-Karabagh ignited theindependence movements in the Soviet Bloc of Eastern Europe. The"Karabagh Movement" is thus the grandfather of freedom not only inEastern Europe but in the former USSR itself.At that time the Armenians wanted to attach Nagorno-Karabagh toArmenia, to ensure its survival, but now they respect the wishes ofthe Nargorno-Karabagh Armenians to be independent. Theindependence movement has been met with appalling violence from theAzeris. In February 1988 there was a pogrom (massacre) againstArmenians in Sumgait, a suburb of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. In November of 1988, there was a pogrom against Armenians inKirovabad (now Ganja), in the interior of Azerbaijan. In 1989-90,there are joint Soviet-Azerbaijani forced deportations of Armeniansliving in towns and villages of Azerbaijan bordering Nagorno-Karabagh. In January of 1990, there was pogrom against Armeniansin Baku itself.When the Azeris began an outright military assault on the Armeniansof Nagorno-Karabagh itself, they took up arms to defend theirhomes, their land, and their ancient culture. The Armenians arefighting for self-preservation and for the right of self-determination, while the Azeris are fighting to expel an ancientpeople from their historic homeland and to preserve power over aforeign province.Today, a tenous cease-fire is in place and has been holding for thepast 16 months. However, the Azeris number eight million and havea wealth of oil resources to draw upon in the coming years, and theArmenians of Nagorno-Karabagh only 160,000 and scant resources. Very little would prevent the Azeris from reopening hostilities andstarting a full-scale war once the oil money enters its coffers. A genocide similar to that of 1915 is threatened unless the worldtakes an interest in and protects the lives of the embattledArmenian minority.Despite numerous acts of provocation on the part ofAzerbaijan—including a six-year-old blockade of Armenia—theArmenian government has studiously avoided being drawn into the warbetween the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabagh and the Azeri leaders inBaku. In October 1992, the US Congress enacted legislation banningdirect US assistance to the government of Azerbaijan until theblockade is lifted and the aggression ends.The six-year-old war has taken the lives of more than 16,000people, and over 1,000,000 have been displaced. Azerbaijancurrently has 600,000-1,000,000 refugees, Armenia 400,000 refugees,and Nagorno-Karabagh 60,000 refugees.Current Issues: The United States and the United Nations should recognize theindependence of the Republic of Mountainous Karabagh. Azeri leaders and Turkish leaders should reduce belligerenttalk and cease to incite their people to war. Azerbaijan should cease hiring mujaheddin and other foreignmercenaries. Turkey should no longer train and supply Azerbaijani troopsand should cease threatening gestures towards Armenia. Azerbaijan and Turkey should cease their illegal blockades ofArmenia and Karabagh, which have caused untold suffering and deathfor the civilian population of Armenia. A permanent truce must be agreed upon and enforced. United Nations troops should be sent in to monitor a self-determination plebiscite.Current SituationThe current situation is one of "no peace, no war." Negotiations continue, but with Azerbaijan insisting on the principle of"territorial integrity" (despite the fact that Eritrea wasrecognized by the world community as independent from Ethiopiaafter a war), little progress has been made.April 3, 1996 |
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