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ARMENIA: LETTER ON KARABAKH'S JOINING RUSSIA SPARKS MIXED REACTION, CRITICISM
Yerkir (in Armenian), Armenia
Oct 15 2013
[Translated from Armenian]
Writer Zori Balayan, a prominent member of a movement aiming
at achieving the unification of Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagornyy
Karabakh to Soviet Armenia, has recently made public an "open letter"
to Russian President Vladimir Putin, where he described Karabakh as
an integral part of once imperial Russia based on the 1813 Gulistan
Treaty, essentially offering Nagornyy Karabakh's joining Russia.
This move has sparked wide and mixed reaction. While some public
figures backed the logic behind the letter, others, including Nagornyy
Karabakh officials and some social media users, strongly condemned
the move.
Support
The head of the Karabakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, gave an interview to the Galatv.am
website on 15 October, noting that Balayan had "disclosed some
historical details and it was necessary to do so to inform the
Russian president".
Meanwhile, the clergyman disagreed to some of Balayan's critics,
who called him a "traitor" and said that Balayan was warning Russia
against "returning Karabakh to Azerbaijani yoke", as that would
"destroy Russian influence in the region". [1]
MP from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, Ashot Aghababyan, was
also among those, who welcomed the letter with some reservations. The
Hayeli.am website directly asked Aghababyan if he would welcome
Karabakh's incorporation into Russia. "I would abstain from ruling out
such an option, because Balayan may have information at hand that I
do not have," Aghababyan answered, adding: "If the Karabakh question
is not resolved by means of its joining Armenia and its international
recognition, its incorporation into Russia may be a way out of the
deadlock". [2]
Criticism
Commenting the letter to the Zhoghovurd newspaper, Nagornyy Karabakh
prime minister Ara Harutyunyan criticized it, the Yerkir.am website
reported at 0510 on 15 October.
"No one had the right to speak on behalf of the people. He could
only express his personal views. Karabakh has already articulated its
opinion, it has declared independent in 1991 and any other viewpoint is
merely a personal one. We have clarified our position on independence
in a referendum [in 1991]," the website, referring to the newspaper,
quoted Harutyunyan as saying. [3]
Some opposition figures, like former presidential candidate Paruyr
Hayrikyan, accused Balayan of paving way to Russian "imperialism"
in Armenia and Nagornyy Karabakh.
The News.am website quoted Hayrikyan as saying at a news conference
that "with his statements he developed [President] Serzh Sargsyan's
readiness to support the restoration of the Russian Empire". [4]
The head of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia faction in
parliament, Galust Sahakyan, was milder in his criticism, saying that
the position was not acceptable to his party, Yerkir.am wrote at 0813
on 15 October. "It is a personal opinion and such an opinion is off our
agenda and I do not think we could have such an issue on it," he was
quoted as commenting on the prospects of Karabakh's joining Russia. [5]
Armenian actors were rather outspoken in their criticism of the letter.
Ruben Babayan, the director of Yerevan's puppet theatre, said that the
letter was addressed to Armenians rather than Putin. "Our mentality
has remained in the era 200 years ago, neglecting people's opinion;
did you ask the Karabakh people if they want to join Russia?" Babayan
asked. [6]
In his video blog popular comedian Sergey Danielyan posted on YouTube,
he ridiculed Balayan's letter, calling it a "love letter without
response" and adding that "Putin would never include Karabakh in
Russia". [7]
Social media
Social media also differed in their opinions. Most of them seemed
critical, but some supported Balayan.
Facebook user Harut Uloyan recalled his earlier opinion that Armenia
was too dependent on Russia's position in the peace talks with
Azerbaijan and wrote that Balayan's letter was similar to his theory.
"I am not at all surprised at Zori [Balayan]'s treacherous letter. It
is an attempt to keep the public aware of reality via a third person,"
he wrote. [8]
Artur Igityan, another Facebook user, supported the opinion of
Karabakh's joining Russia. "The best option for populating Kalbacar and
Lacin would be to incorporate Karabakh in Russia. Armenian citizens
would like to move to Lacin and other liberated territories which
are not yet successfully populated," he wrote. [9]
Facebook user Hayk Vardanyan supported Balayan and noted that it was
a means to show that Armenians were "pro-Russian" and Azerbaijanis
"anti-Russian". "As to whether the empire will be restored or Karabakh
will be incorporated in it, it is clear that it is not up to Zori
Balayan to decide it and by doing this, he just wanted to show that
we are ready even for that in order to make the issue more appealing
[to Russia]," he wrote on his account. [10]
[1] Galatv.am website, Gyumri, in Armenian 1123 gmt 15 Oct 13
[2] Hayeli.am website, Yerevan, in Armenian 15 Oct 13
[3] Yerkir.am website, Yerevan, in Armenian 0510 gmt 15 Oct 13
[4] News.am website, Yerevan, in Armenian, 0744 gmt 15 Oct 13
[5] Yerkir.am website, Yerevan, in Armenian 0813 gmt 15 Oct 13
[6] Yerkir.am website, Yerevan, in Armenian 0837 gmt 15 Oct 13
[7]YouTube in Armenian, 15 Oct 13
[8] https://www.facebook.com/harut.uloyan/posts/10201824147192602?re
f=notif¬if- t=close-friend-activity 15 Oct 13
[9] 15 Oct 13
[10] 15 Oct 13
Yerkir (in Armenian), Armenia
Oct 15 2013
[Translated from Armenian]
Writer Zori Balayan, a prominent member of a movement aiming
at achieving the unification of Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagornyy
Karabakh to Soviet Armenia, has recently made public an "open letter"
to Russian President Vladimir Putin, where he described Karabakh as
an integral part of once imperial Russia based on the 1813 Gulistan
Treaty, essentially offering Nagornyy Karabakh's joining Russia.
This move has sparked wide and mixed reaction. While some public
figures backed the logic behind the letter, others, including Nagornyy
Karabakh officials and some social media users, strongly condemned
the move.
Support
The head of the Karabakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, gave an interview to the Galatv.am
website on 15 October, noting that Balayan had "disclosed some
historical details and it was necessary to do so to inform the
Russian president".
Meanwhile, the clergyman disagreed to some of Balayan's critics,
who called him a "traitor" and said that Balayan was warning Russia
against "returning Karabakh to Azerbaijani yoke", as that would
"destroy Russian influence in the region". [1]
MP from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, Ashot Aghababyan, was
also among those, who welcomed the letter with some reservations. The
Hayeli.am website directly asked Aghababyan if he would welcome
Karabakh's incorporation into Russia. "I would abstain from ruling out
such an option, because Balayan may have information at hand that I
do not have," Aghababyan answered, adding: "If the Karabakh question
is not resolved by means of its joining Armenia and its international
recognition, its incorporation into Russia may be a way out of the
deadlock". [2]
Criticism
Commenting the letter to the Zhoghovurd newspaper, Nagornyy Karabakh
prime minister Ara Harutyunyan criticized it, the Yerkir.am website
reported at 0510 on 15 October.
"No one had the right to speak on behalf of the people. He could
only express his personal views. Karabakh has already articulated its
opinion, it has declared independent in 1991 and any other viewpoint is
merely a personal one. We have clarified our position on independence
in a referendum [in 1991]," the website, referring to the newspaper,
quoted Harutyunyan as saying. [3]
Some opposition figures, like former presidential candidate Paruyr
Hayrikyan, accused Balayan of paving way to Russian "imperialism"
in Armenia and Nagornyy Karabakh.
The News.am website quoted Hayrikyan as saying at a news conference
that "with his statements he developed [President] Serzh Sargsyan's
readiness to support the restoration of the Russian Empire". [4]
The head of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia faction in
parliament, Galust Sahakyan, was milder in his criticism, saying that
the position was not acceptable to his party, Yerkir.am wrote at 0813
on 15 October. "It is a personal opinion and such an opinion is off our
agenda and I do not think we could have such an issue on it," he was
quoted as commenting on the prospects of Karabakh's joining Russia. [5]
Armenian actors were rather outspoken in their criticism of the letter.
Ruben Babayan, the director of Yerevan's puppet theatre, said that the
letter was addressed to Armenians rather than Putin. "Our mentality
has remained in the era 200 years ago, neglecting people's opinion;
did you ask the Karabakh people if they want to join Russia?" Babayan
asked. [6]
In his video blog popular comedian Sergey Danielyan posted on YouTube,
he ridiculed Balayan's letter, calling it a "love letter without
response" and adding that "Putin would never include Karabakh in
Russia". [7]
Social media
Social media also differed in their opinions. Most of them seemed
critical, but some supported Balayan.
Facebook user Harut Uloyan recalled his earlier opinion that Armenia
was too dependent on Russia's position in the peace talks with
Azerbaijan and wrote that Balayan's letter was similar to his theory.
"I am not at all surprised at Zori [Balayan]'s treacherous letter. It
is an attempt to keep the public aware of reality via a third person,"
he wrote. [8]
Artur Igityan, another Facebook user, supported the opinion of
Karabakh's joining Russia. "The best option for populating Kalbacar and
Lacin would be to incorporate Karabakh in Russia. Armenian citizens
would like to move to Lacin and other liberated territories which
are not yet successfully populated," he wrote. [9]
Facebook user Hayk Vardanyan supported Balayan and noted that it was
a means to show that Armenians were "pro-Russian" and Azerbaijanis
"anti-Russian". "As to whether the empire will be restored or Karabakh
will be incorporated in it, it is clear that it is not up to Zori
Balayan to decide it and by doing this, he just wanted to show that
we are ready even for that in order to make the issue more appealing
[to Russia]," he wrote on his account. [10]
[1] Galatv.am website, Gyumri, in Armenian 1123 gmt 15 Oct 13
[2] Hayeli.am website, Yerevan, in Armenian 15 Oct 13
[3] Yerkir.am website, Yerevan, in Armenian 0510 gmt 15 Oct 13
[4] News.am website, Yerevan, in Armenian, 0744 gmt 15 Oct 13
[5] Yerkir.am website, Yerevan, in Armenian 0813 gmt 15 Oct 13
[6] Yerkir.am website, Yerevan, in Armenian 0837 gmt 15 Oct 13
[7]YouTube in Armenian, 15 Oct 13
[8] https://www.facebook.com/harut.uloyan/posts/10201824147192602?re
f=notif¬if- t=close-friend-activity 15 Oct 13
[9] 15 Oct 13
[10] 15 Oct 13