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FROM TERRITORIAL TO ARCHITECTURAL CLAIM: MONUMENT IN KARABAKH PROVOKED AZERIS TO SCANDAL IN NEWS FAIR IN IRAN
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow
01.11.10 | 16:26
News
Armenian journalists who are back from Iran comment on the scandal
The image of a monument held by many as a symbol of Nagorno-Karabakh
was at the center of another Armenian-Azeri row during an international
media fair in Iran, leading to the Armenian delegation's cutting
their visit short and returning home.
PanArmenian.Net and Azg (Nation) daily, representing Armenia at the
International Festival and Fair of Press and News Agencies held in
Tehran on October 25-31, left the pavilion "when the organizers of
the fair, succumbing to Azeri journalists' hysteria, did not place
the photo of the Armenian monument 'We are Our Mountains' (which is
located at the entrance of Karabakh capital Stepanakert), onto the
pavilion of Armenia."
Hasmik Harutyunyan, an Azg daily journalist, told ArmeniaNow that the
organizers of the festival pasted a country flag, name and image of
a monument symbolizing this country at each pavilion.
"The Iranian organizers pasted the photo of 'We are Our Mountains'
monument in Nagorno-Karabakh, as a result of which Azeri journalists
raised a clamor, and said that Armenians are presenting 'their
monument' [meaning Azeri]," Harutyunyan says. "And Turkish journalists
joined them."
('We are Our Mountains' monument, also known as 'Tatik yev Papik'
(grandmother and grandfather) was built in 1967, by sculptor Sargis
Baghdasaryan.)
The incident in Tehran, Iran, attracted the attention of
representatives of all countries: people started approaching and asking
what the matter was, besides, they were taking photos with the photo of
the monument in the background, according to the Armenian participants.
"By the time we were trying to smooth out the situation and not to
attach a political context to the non-political event, Suleyman
Farzaliyev, a journalist from the Azeri APA news agency, simply
intruded into the Armenian pavilion. He was saying insulting words
about our country, nation and flag. Tearing out the maps of the
Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, pasted on
the wall, he wanted to tear them into pieces. Of course, we managed
to stop him," Harutyunyan says.
During the next days of the festival, the organizers did not paste
the photo of the monument on the wall of the pavilion; however,
the Armenian delegation representatives say the photo remained in
the pavilion.
The Iranian side explained the existence of the photo in the Armenian
pavilion by the fact that they were not aware of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, and they were sure that the 'Tatik yev Papik' was the
Armenian state national symbol, as the Eiffel Tower was presented in
the French pavilion.
The Armenian delegation demanded from the festival organizers to paste
the photo on the wall of the pavilion the next day, which, however,
did not happen. Hence, representatives of the Armenian delegation
decided to disseminate a statement among the participants of the
fair-festival and leave it three days before its closure.
The statement reads that "the organizers did not keep their promise
about re-pasting the monument photo on the panel of the Armenian
pavilion, that is why the Armenian side did not consider its further
participation in the event possible."
Armenians and Azeris participating in international events often
have arguments over maps and symbols related to Karabakh, which has
enjoyed de facto independence from Baku since 1991 but has not been
recognized by the latter as an independent entity.
From: A. Papazian
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow
01.11.10 | 16:26
News
Armenian journalists who are back from Iran comment on the scandal
The image of a monument held by many as a symbol of Nagorno-Karabakh
was at the center of another Armenian-Azeri row during an international
media fair in Iran, leading to the Armenian delegation's cutting
their visit short and returning home.
PanArmenian.Net and Azg (Nation) daily, representing Armenia at the
International Festival and Fair of Press and News Agencies held in
Tehran on October 25-31, left the pavilion "when the organizers of
the fair, succumbing to Azeri journalists' hysteria, did not place
the photo of the Armenian monument 'We are Our Mountains' (which is
located at the entrance of Karabakh capital Stepanakert), onto the
pavilion of Armenia."
Hasmik Harutyunyan, an Azg daily journalist, told ArmeniaNow that the
organizers of the festival pasted a country flag, name and image of
a monument symbolizing this country at each pavilion.
"The Iranian organizers pasted the photo of 'We are Our Mountains'
monument in Nagorno-Karabakh, as a result of which Azeri journalists
raised a clamor, and said that Armenians are presenting 'their
monument' [meaning Azeri]," Harutyunyan says. "And Turkish journalists
joined them."
('We are Our Mountains' monument, also known as 'Tatik yev Papik'
(grandmother and grandfather) was built in 1967, by sculptor Sargis
Baghdasaryan.)
The incident in Tehran, Iran, attracted the attention of
representatives of all countries: people started approaching and asking
what the matter was, besides, they were taking photos with the photo of
the monument in the background, according to the Armenian participants.
"By the time we were trying to smooth out the situation and not to
attach a political context to the non-political event, Suleyman
Farzaliyev, a journalist from the Azeri APA news agency, simply
intruded into the Armenian pavilion. He was saying insulting words
about our country, nation and flag. Tearing out the maps of the
Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, pasted on
the wall, he wanted to tear them into pieces. Of course, we managed
to stop him," Harutyunyan says.
During the next days of the festival, the organizers did not paste
the photo of the monument on the wall of the pavilion; however,
the Armenian delegation representatives say the photo remained in
the pavilion.
The Iranian side explained the existence of the photo in the Armenian
pavilion by the fact that they were not aware of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, and they were sure that the 'Tatik yev Papik' was the
Armenian state national symbol, as the Eiffel Tower was presented in
the French pavilion.
The Armenian delegation demanded from the festival organizers to paste
the photo on the wall of the pavilion the next day, which, however,
did not happen. Hence, representatives of the Armenian delegation
decided to disseminate a statement among the participants of the
fair-festival and leave it three days before its closure.
The statement reads that "the organizers did not keep their promise
about re-pasting the monument photo on the panel of the Armenian
pavilion, that is why the Armenian side did not consider its further
participation in the event possible."
Armenians and Azeris participating in international events often
have arguments over maps and symbols related to Karabakh, which has
enjoyed de facto independence from Baku since 1991 but has not been
recognized by the latter as an independent entity.
From: A. Papazian