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BBC says its reports from Karabakh "translated incorrectly" - Azeri TV
ANS TV, Baku
19 May 04
[Presenter in studio] The Azerbaijani embassy in Great Britain
has asked the administration of the BBC for an explanation over its
correspondent Steven Eke's visit to the territory of Nagornyy Karabakh
without the official permission of the Azerbaijani government and
over the prejudiced reports prepared from there. In response, the BBC
administration claims that Eke's reports were not translated correctly.
[Correspondent over video of Bush House, people sitting in front of
computers, views of Karabakh] The administration of the BBC World
Service is going to provide an explanation to the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry over a visit by the BBC radio correspondent, Steven Eke,
to the occupied Azerbaijani territory, Nagornyy Karabakh, without the
permission of the official Baku. This has been said to us by the head
of the Foreign Ministry's press service, Matin Mirza.
On the ministry's instruction the Azerbaijani ambassador to Great
Britain, Rafael Ibrahimov, is also trying to deal with the issue.
[Spokeswoman for the Azerbaijani embassy in Great Britain S. Dadasova,
captioned, over phone] The Azerbaijani ambassador to Great Britain,
Rafael Ibrahimov, contacted the administration of the Eurasia service
of the BBC over this visit by a BBC correspondent, both in writing
and by phone, to express the discontent of the Azerbaijani side.
[Correspondent] The head of the Azerbaijani diplomatic mission in
London has also voiced the Azerbaijani side's concern about the
pro-Armenian position of the BBC correspondent. The head of the
BBC's Eurasia section, Behrouz Afagh, said that the visit at issue
was paid to Nagornyy Karabakh through the territory of Armenia
only for pragmatic reasons and did not bear any anti-Azerbaijani
undertone. Behrouz Afagh also expressed interest in Azerbaijan's
entry regulations. It was stated to the senior BBC representative
that it is possible to enter the territory of Azerbaijan only with
the official permission of the Azerbaijani authorities and in line
with the established regulations. Behrouz Afagh said that the reports
prepared from Nagornyy Karabakh must have been translated incorrectly,
which, in its turn, led to this misunderstanding. According to the
BBC official, a letter will be sent to relevant Azerbaijani bodies
to clarify the issue.
Let me say again that this was said by the head of the BBC's Eurasia
section, Behrouz Afagh.
Sevda Hasanova, ANS.
[Presenter] A short while ago the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
received a letter from the BBC administration. According to the
ministry's spokesman, Matin Mirza, in the letter the head of the
Eurasia section of the BBC, Behrouz Afagh, is justifying the fact that
a BBC correspondent went to Nagornyy Karabakh through the territory of
Armenia. The letter says that everyone is using this route. Asking
the Azerbaijani side not to introduce a political touch to the
issue, the BBC official said that all the necessary chronological and
statistical information is always obtained from Baku. It says further
that the Russian-language reports only represented an exchange of
opinion between people of different social categories. What is rather
illogical, however, is that the BBC administration says in its letter
to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry that it accepts all the complaints
and is ready to discuss the issue directly with representatives of
the Azerbaijani embassy in Great Britain.
ANS TV, Baku
19 May 04
[Presenter in studio] The Azerbaijani embassy in Great Britain
has asked the administration of the BBC for an explanation over its
correspondent Steven Eke's visit to the territory of Nagornyy Karabakh
without the official permission of the Azerbaijani government and
over the prejudiced reports prepared from there. In response, the BBC
administration claims that Eke's reports were not translated correctly.
[Correspondent over video of Bush House, people sitting in front of
computers, views of Karabakh] The administration of the BBC World
Service is going to provide an explanation to the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry over a visit by the BBC radio correspondent, Steven Eke,
to the occupied Azerbaijani territory, Nagornyy Karabakh, without the
permission of the official Baku. This has been said to us by the head
of the Foreign Ministry's press service, Matin Mirza.
On the ministry's instruction the Azerbaijani ambassador to Great
Britain, Rafael Ibrahimov, is also trying to deal with the issue.
[Spokeswoman for the Azerbaijani embassy in Great Britain S. Dadasova,
captioned, over phone] The Azerbaijani ambassador to Great Britain,
Rafael Ibrahimov, contacted the administration of the Eurasia service
of the BBC over this visit by a BBC correspondent, both in writing
and by phone, to express the discontent of the Azerbaijani side.
[Correspondent] The head of the Azerbaijani diplomatic mission in
London has also voiced the Azerbaijani side's concern about the
pro-Armenian position of the BBC correspondent. The head of the
BBC's Eurasia section, Behrouz Afagh, said that the visit at issue
was paid to Nagornyy Karabakh through the territory of Armenia
only for pragmatic reasons and did not bear any anti-Azerbaijani
undertone. Behrouz Afagh also expressed interest in Azerbaijan's
entry regulations. It was stated to the senior BBC representative
that it is possible to enter the territory of Azerbaijan only with
the official permission of the Azerbaijani authorities and in line
with the established regulations. Behrouz Afagh said that the reports
prepared from Nagornyy Karabakh must have been translated incorrectly,
which, in its turn, led to this misunderstanding. According to the
BBC official, a letter will be sent to relevant Azerbaijani bodies
to clarify the issue.
Let me say again that this was said by the head of the BBC's Eurasia
section, Behrouz Afagh.
Sevda Hasanova, ANS.
[Presenter] A short while ago the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
received a letter from the BBC administration. According to the
ministry's spokesman, Matin Mirza, in the letter the head of the
Eurasia section of the BBC, Behrouz Afagh, is justifying the fact that
a BBC correspondent went to Nagornyy Karabakh through the territory of
Armenia. The letter says that everyone is using this route. Asking
the Azerbaijani side not to introduce a political touch to the
issue, the BBC official said that all the necessary chronological and
statistical information is always obtained from Baku. It says further
that the Russian-language reports only represented an exchange of
opinion between people of different social categories. What is rather
illogical, however, is that the BBC administration says in its letter
to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry that it accepts all the complaints
and is ready to discuss the issue directly with representatives of
the Azerbaijani embassy in Great Britain.