NKR Defense Ministry: Bakhmanov's statement nothing but regular provocation

PanARMENIAN.Net - The statement by Nizami Bakhmanov, the leader of so-called Azeri community of Karabakh, is nothing but a regular provocation of the Azerbaijani agitation machine, head of the propaganda and information division at the NKR Defense Ministry, lieutenant colonel Senor Asratyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.



"This is a recurrent canard of the Azeri authorities meant to mislead the public. The statement also conflicts with the EU recommendations for trust building measures between Armenia and Azerbaijan," Asratyan said, adding, "There are no Kurds in Nagorno Karabakh. It's strange that Mr Bakhmanov is unaware of this fact."



On February 11, Bakhmanov told a news conference in Baku that Azerbaijan will carry out "anti-terrorist operations in Karabakh if existence of Kurdish bases is proved." The Azeri Defense Ministry did not comment on the statement, 1news.az agency said.



In 1928, Soviet Azerbaijan razed to the ground Red Kurdistan, a region adjacent to Karabakh. Exiled Kurds found shelter in Armenia.