Armenia, an Ancient Civilization shielding against Pan-Turkism
“For many Armenians, today’s reality of ethnic hate and war crimes is a haunting reminder of the past, a second attempt at the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Turkey's involvement in this current war not only included a dark and long history of genocide against the Armenian people during the first World War, but in addition, a geopolitical, economic, and ethnic agenda of Pan-Turkism, the desire to unify all Turkish-speaking nations for the recreation of the Ottoman Empire.”
From Mané Andreasyan
Leia em português aqui.
Photos by Harout Barsoumian
Turkey and Azerbaijan deny the Armenian Genocide of over a century ago, while still engaging in military violence against Armenians and refusing to allow territorial sovereignty to traditionally Armenian lands. In order to prevent history from repeating itself, we must look at this point on the globe, listen to its people’s stories, and search for new ways to defend those whose most valuable resource is their humanity.
On September 27th, Armenians in their homelands and millions more across the diaspora woke up to the terrorizing news of once again being under attack, this time by the Turkish backed Azeri forces seeking to regain control of the indigenous Armenian region of Artsakh, also known as Nargorno-Karabagh. Azerbaijan, in violation of international law, broke the 1994 ceasefire agreement which had frozen the decades long heated conflict over land rights of the ethnic Armenian region. As a result of Joseph Stalin’s unilateral vote of Soviet division of land in 1921, under the Caucasian Bureau of the Russian Communist Party, Artsakh, the region between Armenia and Azerbaijan, inhabited by over 95% indigenous Armenians for thousands of years, was to be administered by Azerbaijan.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the peoples desire for independence evoked the fight for the independence of Artsakh and for the people’s right to self-determination. Though years of brutal war regained Armenia its indigenous lands, the struggle resulted in thousands dead, displaced, and an undetermined settlement of peace from the 1994 ceasefire agreement for both sides. Just two months ago, in the midst of the second wave of a global pandemic, the struggle for peace has unfurled once again for Armenian people, but this time, to defend Armenia includes fighting against Pan-Turkism.
The September 27th attack on Armenia and Artsakh quickly turned into 43 days of deadly and unimaginable war. Within three days of battles, it was clear how deeply outnumbered Armenia would be without any international aid or allied support in the struggle to defend its homeland. On the defensive is Armenia, an ancient and small land-locked Christian nation with a population of 3 million and a GDP of 12.4 Billion (World Bank). On the offensive is Azerbaijan (and Turkey), a Pan-Turkic nation with a population of 10 million and a GDP of 46.94 Billion, led by Ilham Aliyev's dictatorial regime.
As released in The Investigative Journal (September 30, 2020), Turkey hired Syrian mercenaries to be sent to support Azerbaijan’s military, offering them $2,000 per month to join the Syrian National Army, backed by Turkey. “They tricked us. They told us we were coming to guard a Turkish base. Then we get here and it’s fighting, right away, it’s fighting. The sons of bitches will not return us,” said a Hamza Division militant in Azerbaijan. “The fighting isn’t like anything I have seen. It’s like a movie. It’s constant bombardment.”
Syrian militias are getting paid by Turkey to slaughter Armenians in Artsakh, but the Turkish defense ministry claims, without proof, that Armenians are summoning aid from the PKK (the banned Kurdistan Workers Party). Unlike Azerbaijan, Armenians have been fighting alone in this defense against Azeri and Turkish aggression. Whether on the frontline or the online mass misinformation campaign sponsored by Azerbaijan and Turkey to confuse the less informed public. Countless videos of Syrian mercenaries have been streaming through social media, of uniformed men, proudly displaying their killing of Armenian captives. As Armenians around the world continued to mourn their dead, they were still left wondering when the international community would speak up against these war crimes.
As days passed, the Azeri attacks intensified going beyond military bases and into civilian settlements and infrastructure. The constant bombardment of missiles and cluster bombs left the capital of Stepanakert, and several other regions such as Martuni, Martakert, and Shushi in ruins, most of which were not attacks on military bases, but rather, civilian settlements. Children’s hospitals, maternity wards, schools, churches, shops, and several other civilian infrastructures were damaged and destroyed.
After nearly six weeks of constant battle, with 3 attempts at a ceasefire brokered by Russia, all of which were broken by Azerbaijan minutes after being announced, the war ended with a surprise agreement signed by Armenia’s PM, Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijian's President Aliyev, and Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin. The document contains nine points of ceasefire and land agreements which ultimately resulted in Armenia’s loss. This news angered the Armenian communities around the world, particularly in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, where hundreds of protesters broke into Parliament buildings destroying government property. Many Armenian critics of these protesters raised the question of whether Armenia would have lost the war had so many of these protesters joined the army instead.
The struggle to receive international attention for the war crimes committed by Azerbaijan and Turkey, including the use of white phosphorus munitions which destroyed over 150 hectares of forest, added to the layer of humanitarian and environmental crisis. Diaspora Armenians living in cities all across Europe, the United States, Canada, Argentina, and countless more, took it upon themselves to demand international action and accurate coverage of the war crimes being committed against the Armenian people.
For Armenians in the diaspora, efforts to sanction Turkey and Azerbaijan out of NATO, along with international peacemakers to honor land rights and countless ceasefire agreements, have so far been unmet. Armenian Americans from all across the United States gathered on October 8th, 2020 in front of the White House hoping to draw attention from the US government to sanction Turkey and Azerbaijan out of NATO and to draw the attention to US taxpayers in hopes to sir the question as to why the US has allocation 100 million dollars to security aid in Azerbaijan.
For many Armenians, today’s reality of ethnic hate and war crimes is a haunting reminder of the past, a second attempt at the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Turkey's involvement in this current war not only included a dark and long history of genocide against the Armenian people during the first World War, but in addition, a geopolitical, economic, and ethnic agenda of Pan-Turkism, the desire to unify all Turkish-speaking nations for the recreation of the Ottoman Empire. The highly controversial Grey Wolves, an ultranationalist and Neo-Fascist youth organization, is known for having key supporters like Erdoğan. At a rally, Erdoğan is seen raising the Grey Wolves salute, which some might argue is the equivalent to the Nazi salute. It’s a symbol of the neo-fascist organization, one that represents a collective hate against ethnic minorities including Armenians, Kurds, Greeks, and Assyrians.
This ethnic agenda stems from Ancient History, but is not a thing of the past. Legend says the river valleys of Artsakh were where Noah’s descendants first settled, and Mount Ararat (originally in Armenia) where remnants of Noah's Arch were “found”. Starting in the 6th century BC, Armenia became an Empire that spread from sea to sea. Its language and alphabet, written in 404 by Mesrop Mashtots, is of distinct indigenous Indo-European origin, dating back at least 5 thousand years. Its artifacts and architecture “have also continuously written the story of their evolution” (Armenian Origins, by Thomas J. Samuelian).
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, religious and ethnic tensions between Armenia and its Muslim neighbors lead the Ottoman Empire to commit heinous acts of violence against the Armenian population. Between 1914 and 1923, one and a half million Armenians were killed by Turkish forces. At first, mass deportations, forced labor and starvation crippled the Armenian population in Constantinople. Then there was genocide — wholesale killing and marches toward the Syrian Desert.
In 1939, right before the Nazi invasion of Poland, Hitler mentioned the Armenian Holocaust in a speech to his commanders. He sought to motivate soldiers to slaughter the Polish by pointing out that the memorable aspect of this territorial conquest will not be the killing, only the strength of the German nation. “Only thus shall we gain the living space (Lebensraum) which we need. Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” (sourced from Genocide Education).
To fight against Fascism in these times demands an understanding of history that goes beyond what is presented by popular culture. If the unimaginable concept of bystanders in Nazi Germany still haunts us, what will we be a hundred years from now? We don't have to become one more generation to fall in the trap of mass misinformation and disinterest for the well-being of those different from us. There is still time to use the technological advancements of our century to put an end, once and for all, to some of the most horrific practices we’ve seen throughout human history.
Acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and the current humanitarian crisis there matters, now more than ever. These open wounds, so severely bleeding now, continue to be passed down from one generation to the next. To look into the eyes of the Armenian people is to recognize the reflection of ancient suffering. But there is much more than that, look deeper and you will find an existential strength and will to survive, to rebuild, to re-root in their culture and identity, and to heal through love and honor. As the great William Saroyan famously wrote:
“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia. See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.”
Mané Andreasyan
In collaboration with Plataforma9. Photographed by Harout Barsoumian. Produced and edited by Mirna Wabi-Sabi.
Mané Andreasyan is a humanities educator, mind-body holistic trainer, and mindfulness coach. She is inspired by the power of compassionate collaboration, self-inquiry, and the potential of education to shift our world in a more harmonious, inclusive, and enlightened direction.