Azerbaijan transfers international problems over to Karabakh conflictFebruary 14, 2008 - 16:38 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - "Under the ethnic origin of the ruling clan in Baku, the Kurdish subject area is one of the most sensitive topics in present-day Azerbaijan. It is not enough that representatives of the above-mentioned clan occupy high posts in the Azeri government. The fact is that the founder of the Nakhijevan clan, former chief of the Azeri SSR National Security Committee Heydar Aliyev took part in formation and training of Turkey's number one enemy - the Kurdistan Workers' Party," says a statement issued by the NKR Foreign Ministry as regards the Kurdish theme gambled by the Azeri authorities. According to the NKR MFA, Turkey's cool attitude toward Aliyev senior is conditioned by this very fact. "During a visit to Baku in January 2003, head of AKP party Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that PKK cells were functioning in Azerbaijan. Erdogan's statement aroused indignation and then-Minister of National Security Namik Abbasov had to issue a disclaimer," the statement says. "In this context, the Azeri authorities' attempts to disown the Kurdish problem fit in the republic's policy of solving a problem 'at the expense of somebody else'. Azeri media repeatedly reports that Kurds settle down in former Armenian villages of northern Karabakh. "Azeri authorities and structures financed by them claimed presence of Al Qaeda camps, nuclear weapon laboratories and nuclear waste landfills in NKR. The Azeri delegation to PACE circulated a document saying that Armenians used nuclear weapons during the 1991-94 war. "Understanding the absurdity of making such statement on the state level, Azerbaijan put forth Nizami Bahmanov, the so-called head of Azeri community of Karabakh," NKR MFA said. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |