THE SUMGAYIT PROVOCATION AGAINST AZERBAIJAN «The Grigoryan Case»
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IBRAHIM MAMMADOV THE SECRETS OF THE SOVIET EMPIRE THE SUMGAYIT PROVOCATION AGAINST AZERBAIJAN «The Grigoryan Case» U – 2014 Published by the decision of the Academic Board of the A.A.Bakikhanov Institute of History of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) Research editor and author of foreword: Ramiz Mehdiyev Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan,ANAS Academician Translated into English by: Dr.Baylar Hajiyev Head of the Department of English for the Faculties of Arts, Baku State University Editor of the English Text: Dr. Graham R. Smith Canterbery University, UK Mammadov I. M 52 The Secrets of the Soviet Empire. The Sumgayit Provocation against Azerbaijan. «The Grigoryan Case». Baku, «Tahsil», 2014. 336 page. This book is the result of investigative journalism of the Sumgayit events, a dark page in the modern history of the Azerbaijani people. Having conducted extensive research, the author has proven with facts and documents that these events, in which 26 Armenians and 6 Azerbaijanis were killed. A cunning plot, instigated by Armenian extremists and the USSR KGB against Azerbaijan, which became a link in the chain of aggressive politics by Armenians against neighbouring nations, primarily the Muslim-Turkic population of the Caucasus. 4306020600 М 2014 053 © «Тaщсил», 2014 THIS BOOK IS WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED BY THE INITIATIVE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV «The events that took place in Sumgayit in February 1988 are in fact a provocation committed against the Azerbaijani people. Therefore, at present, criminal investigation into the issue has been renewed by my instruction. The objective of the investigation is to identify the organizers of this provocation. Upon completion of all investigative actions, this event will be given a political assessment. The state of Azerbaijan is interested in disclosure of this crime, identification of its organizers and is open to cooperation with all the willing individuals, organizations and states in this matter.» ILHAM ALIYEV, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ..............................................................................................5 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................10 CHAPTER I. Historical and political roots of the Sumgayit events 1.1. Sources and stages of development of Armenian expansionism .........21 1.2. Inconsistency of the Armenian SSR claims over the Daghlig Garabagh Autonomous District of Azerbaijan SSR.............................47 CHAPTER II. Political situation in the USSR and Azerbaijan SSR on the eve of the Sumgayit events 2.1. Deepening of the political and economic crisis, aggravation of inter-ethnic relations in the USSR...................................................61 2.2. Strengthening of the Armenian SSR territorial claims against the Azerbaijan SSR and ethnic separatism in Daghlig Garabagh........73 CHAPTER III. Nature and purpose of the Sumgayit provocation 3.1. Socio-political conditions of the Sumgayit events ..............................99 3.2. Plotting and execution of the criminal political provocation.............107 3.3. Azerbaijani people’s attitude towards the Sumgayit events...............175 CHAPTER IV. Geopolitical implications of the Sumgayit events 4.1. Response of the leadership of Azerbaijan SSR to the Sumgayit events.................................................................................184 4.2. Position of the USSR leadership and expansion of the Armenian aggression ...............................................................194 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................232 REFERENCES........................................................................................236 4 FOREWORD Ramiz Mehdiyev, Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Academician The Sumgayit events mark the primary stage of the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, the strategy of transferring Daghlig Garabagh (Nagorno - Karabakh)* to Armenia. Of course, at that time, the Soviet Union still formally existed, but has already lost its former power and was standing face to face with serious internal problems. The position of Soviet leadership stemming mostly from double standards, as well as its hidden moral and political support for separatists in the Daghlig Garabagh issue are explained by uncertainty of opinions and judgments regarding the Union’s future and the pro-Armenian forces holding important positions in Moscow. As far back as 1987, Abel Aganbekyan (an Armenian national), Adviser to the Secretary-General of the Communist Party Soviet Union Central Committee Mikhail Gorbachev, met with representatives of the Armenian Diaspora during his visit to France and promised them that the status of Daghlig Garabagh, as well as the administrative boundaries between union republics will be reconsidered. Two factors should be particularly mentioned here. First, by the time when these promises were announced, Mikhail Gorbachev had ousted from power the sole support of Azerbaijanis in Moscow – Heydar Aliyev with the efforts of Armenians. This had created favourable conditions for Armenians to resume their territorial claims against Azerbaijan; a window of opportunism was opened. In addition, the territorial claims against Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey were identified as main areas of activity of the Diaspora organizations *Daghlig Garabagh is an Azerbaijani word. In the international mass media it is used as: Nagorno-Karabakh. The word Nagorno in Russian means mountainous. Further we will use the term Daghlig Garabagh 5 Ibrahim Mammadov of Armenians living in America and Europe. The Daghlig Garabagh issue, being a priority, was considered a forefront in the Caucasus and enjoyed special attention. However, in order to convince the international community and force the Soviet leadership to act, the image of the «long-suffering» Armenian nation had to be presented to the world in the first place. Peaceful co-existence of Azerbaijanis and Armenians in the region prevented the justification of these allegations. In such circumstances, to enforce their territorial claims against the neighbouring republics, including Azerbaijan, Armenian nationalists began spreading rumours about the ostensible suppression of Armenians by Azerbaijanis, thereby reinforcing nationalist feelings. Many European researchers fairly point out that unlike the other Soviet nations, Armenian nationalism emerged in the struggle not against the Soviets authorities, but against the Azerbaijani nation, in the context of creating its enemy image. Back in 1984, Armenian writer Zori Balayan made sharp remarks against Azerbaijan in his book «Ojag» (“Hearth” – trans.). Publication of such a book aimed at inciting nationalist sentiments was completely at odds with the Soviet ideology of those times, which raises big questions even today: why weren’t these remarks given a proper assessment? According to official figures, the riots that occurred in the city of Sumgayit on 28-29th of February 1988 claimed the lives of 32 people - 26 Armenians and 6 Azerbaijanis and led the Armenian territorial claims to a new stage. This fact is not the only crime committed by Armenians in the twentieth century. Therefore, the Sumgayit events should be analysed on a broader plain and the reasons for resolute pursuit of violence and reinforcement of confrontation by Armenians must be studied. Nevertheless, all of this cannot be covered in a short foreword. Therefore, to fully understand the essence of riots in Sumgayit, we shall only state the main conceptual ideas. First of all, we need to consider why the strategy of Armenians was aimed at escalation of tension. From this point of view, we should pay attention to four points. First, Armenians understood that by citing the right of nations to self- determination, they cannot achieve a change in the legal framework of the Daghlig Garabagh status. There were several reasons for this: – in terms of the political context and content, the right of nations to self-determination envisaged and commonly propagated in the first years 6 The Sumgayit Provocation against Azerbaijan – «The Grigoryan Case» of Soviet power derived from aspiration of the labourers to cohabitation and was consequently interpreted differently than at the beginning; – in essence, the right of nations to self-determination was envisaged to be assigned to the federative republics. Of course, due to the lack of a universally accepted definition, the concept of «nation» caused extensive discussions. Nevertheless, the Soviet ideology prevented it from becoming an object of specific interpretation; – territorial and border changes could only be implemented with mutual consent of the Union republics; – within Azerbaijani borders, Armenians of Daghlig Garabagh are a national minority and thus must act within the legal framework envisioned for national minorities. Second, such contrived arguments as «discrimination of the Armenian population of Daghlig-Garabagh», «weak economic development in the region», «artificial survival of the autonomous district’s Armenian population» were inconclusive. The region’s economic performance and statements of Soviet leaders reaffirmed the inconsistency of economic claims. In addition, in the 1970s and 80s, the number of Armenians living in Daghlig Garabagh increased from approximately 120,000 to 150,000.