Turkish journalist condemned the Azerbaijani policy of destroying and desecrating Armenian historical and cultural monuments

2024-05-07

In February 2022, Anar Karimov, the Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan, announced the formation of a working group responsible for removing "fabricated traces that Armenians left on Caucasian Albanian religious temples."[1] At a high state level, Azerbaijan promotes a false narrative, claiming that the Armenian inscriptions and other signs of Armenian heritage on the churches that have come under their control are fake, arguing that these monuments are actually of Albanian origin.

It should be noted that following the forced deportation of Artsakh Armenians, the Azerbaijani authorities' next step in their anti-Armenian policy is to completely erase the Armenian heritage now under their control. This policy has drawn criticism and condemnation from many organizations and individuals.

Uzay Bulut, a Turkish journalist residing in Israel, also criticized Azerbaijani government's policy. In his article[2] titled "The Destruction of Christian Cultural Heritage," Bulut condemns the Azerbaijani government's intent to erase Armenian inscriptions from the shrines of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic, calling it reprehensible.

The author emphasizes that they are Armenian - "churches that were unquestionably built by Armenians", then states that this is not the first attempt by Azerbaijanis to destroy Armenian monuments.[3] Referring to the destruction of Armenian historical and cultural monuments in Nakhijevan, the Turkish journalist describes them as cultural genocide.

The journalist compared this policy to Turkey's policy of destruction and ignoring of the cultural monuments after the Armenian Genocide, as well as the methods used by the terrorist organization "Islamic State." She pointed out that Turkey, after destroying and desecrating Armenian cultural heritage, faced no accountability, which has allowed it to continue similar practices in Northern Cyprus—an area that Turkey illegally occupied in 1974.

The author rightly points out that, just as with Turkey, Azerbaijan will persist in its policy unless the international community takes action to address the issue.

[1]Ermənlilərin saxtalaşdırdıqları alban dini məbədlərinin bərpası üçün İşçi qrup yaradılıb, https://report.az/medeniyyet-siyaseti/alban-dini-mebedlerinin-berpasi-ucun-isci-qrup-yaradilib/

[2]The destruction of Christian cultural heritage, https://providencemag.com/2022/02/destruction-christian-cultural-heritage-armenia-azerbaijan-cyprus-syria-turkey/

[3]The destruction of Christian cultural heritage, https://providencemag.com/2022/02/destruction-christian-cultural-heritage-armenia-azerbaijan-cyprus-syria-turkey/

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