By Tural Heybatov
Renowned video blogger Albert Isakov has released a shocking video. While it might not astonish the Azerbaijani side, as they are well-acquainted with the reality of Armenian nationalism, it should be a wake-up call for those who see Armenian nationalism as noble or beyond reproach. The video vividly portrays the essence of Armenia's national ideology, which is far removed from humanity and international law.
Albert Isakov unearthed and translated into Russian a speech by Armenia's first president, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, delivered to members of the "Yerkrapah" organization-volunteers better described as a terrorist group. In the video, a younger Ter-Petrosyan, a diaspora descendant, boasts about the "achievements" of Armenian nationalists. This speech was given during the same period when Armenian occupiers entered Aghdam and began burning the city.
Proud of these so-called victories, Ter-Petrosyan outlines his vision of Armenia’s independence, achieved through ethnic cleansing. His Armenian National Movement (ANM) program, as evident in his speech, bears chilling similarities to the policies of Nazi Germany, sometimes surpassing them in cynicism and inhumanity. The ANM’s main objective was to "purify Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh of other peoples." To achieve this, Armenians committed heinous crimes, "cleansing" modern-day Armenia of its native Azerbaijani population, whom they considered obstacles to Armenia's independence.
The most appalling aspect of this video is Ter-Petrosyan’s apparent lack of remorse. Even when discussing the fate of Armenians from Baku, he shockingly admits that they were sacrificed for the "greater idea." With chilling cynicism, he asserts that if this sacrifice hadn’t been made, Baku Armenians would have become hostages and a "powerful lever to bring Armenia to its knees." Instead, Armenian nationalists created a global image of "barbaric Azerbaijanis" while simultaneously solving Armenia’s demographic problem. According to Ter-Petrosyan, "300,000" relocated Armenians from Baku would, in 10-20 years, swell to a million.
However, this prediction never materialized. Many Armenians who left Azerbaijan struggled to integrate into the radical nationalist environment of Armenia and eventually emigrated elsewhere. Dreams of a demographic explosion crumbled, along with many of Ter-Petrosyan's other calculations. According to his speech, the "purification" of Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh had been a 600-year aspiration of Armenian nationalism. He predicted that these bloody achievements would yield benefits for Armenians for the next six centuries.
Isakov's tone in the video reveals his shock at what he heard. Ter-Petrosyan was long considered one of Armenia’s more pragmatic politicians, often contrasted with the Karabakh clan represented by Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan. Ter-Petrosyan lost power in 1998 for advocating compromises with Azerbaijan and warning that refusing to yield anything would result in losing everything. This stance gave him a reputation for being more reasonable than the Karabakh separatists who usurped power in Armenia.
However, the speech translated by Isakov sheds light on a darker side of Ter-Petrosyan during Armenia’s so-called "victory" days. At that time, he envisioned a triumphant Armenia thriving for centuries on the blood and suffering of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis. His optimism failed to account for Azerbaijan’s signing of the "Contract of the Century" and its subsequent rapid rise, leaving Armenia far behind.
This video must be translated into English and French-the languages most often used to glorify Armenia’s "suffering" and vilify Azerbaijan as "bloodthirsty." It deserves to be shown in European organizations and international human rights offices. Figures like Luis Moreno Ocampo, who assist Yerevan in crafting dramatic claims of "ethnic cleansing of Armenians" in Karabakh, should see it.
True ethnic cleansing occurred in Armenia in the late 1980s. Over 200,000 people faced brutal ethnic cleansing, thousands were killed, and another 700,000 Azerbaijanis were displaced after Armenia’s occupation of 20% of Azerbaijani territories. Their plight never garnered international attention despite Baku’s efforts. Meanwhile, the "democratic world" has spent the past year shedding tears over Armenians who voluntarily left Karabakh.
Ter-Petrosyan’s statements expose the truth and must be widely disseminated. As the leader of Armenia during the bloodiest phase of the conflict, he orchestrated the "cleansing" of Armenians from their native Azerbaijani population-a point of pride for him, as the footage reveals.
What Ter-Petrosyan thinks of his past actions today is irrelevant. What matters is that Armenia is now led by his protégé and follower, Nikol Pashinyan. As the saying goes, "The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree."
Here's the video:
