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The military escalation between the Armenian and Azerbaijani forces, which the Karabakh region is currently witnessing, is but the latest episode in the conflict that has continued for more than 30 years, although it was the most dangerous since the 1994 armistice.
The Karabakh region, which Armenians call “Artsakh” and consider it part of ancient Armenia, entered the force of the Russian Empire in the early 19th century.
After the 1917 revolution, the region was finally annexed to the young Azerbaijan Soviet Republic, despite the objection of the Armenians, who were the majority of its population, and the granting of a system of autonomy.
In 1988, with the rise of nationalist tendencies in the dilapidated dead union, the Karabakh Legislative Council called for the transfer of the region to Armenia, but the Azerbaijani authorities refused to do so.
In response to Karabakh’s declaration of independence in 1991, Baku sent its forces into the rebel region, but success was not its ally, and Azerbaijan lost control of Karabakh and 7 adjacent regions, before Armenia, Azerbaijan and Karabakh signed. the ceasefire protocol in May 1994.
Since then, the fragile calm continues to dominate the situation around Karabakh, interspersed with it from time to time and with the last rounds of fighting, in particular what was called the “Four Day War” in April 2016 as well. like the clashes that took place on the contact line in July this year.
In recent years, the “Republic of Karabakh” did not obtain recognition of its independence from any country, including Armenia, which provided it with various aid and great support and defended its interests in the international arena.
Furthermore, the Karabakh authorities do not participate in settlement negotiations that are carried out under the auspices of the “Minsk Group” of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which includes Russia, the United States and France, because Azerbaijan does not recognize them as a party to the conflict.
Azerbaijan demands the return of all “occupied lands” without any conditions, and insists on the return of Azerbaijanis displaced from Karabakh and the adjacent “occupied areas”, estimated at 600,000 people, to their original areas.
Baku has repeatedly announced its willingness to recover these lands by armed force, while Turkey, an ally of Azerbaijan, imposes a blockade on Armenia, and among the conditions presented by Ankara to open the borders with Armenia is the solution of the territorial dispute with Azerbaijan.
Source: Russia today
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