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Azerbaijani President Aliyev’s Territorial Claims on Armenia and the “Western Azerbaijan” Fallacy

President Aliyev claims that Yerevan is an ancient Azerbaijani city and continues to pressure Armenia over the Zangezur corridor.

2023 was a dark year for Nagorno-Karabakh, starting with Azerbaijan’s blockade, which lasted until Azerbaijan attacked and ethnically cleansed virtually the entire indigenous Armenian population.

A month after Azerbaijan attacked and ethnically cleansed Nagorno-Karabakh, we spoke to the daughter of one of the very few people who stayed behind.

Azerbaijani state media recently bragged about AZ establishing local telecom services, but the Armenians who stayed in NK don’t have internet or mobile connections, and they aren’t allowed to speak to their loved ones without being monitored.

And as part of AZ’s “reintegration” facade, AZ authorities confiscated the Armenian passports of those who remained, but haven’t issued Azerbaijani passports to them.

This means the Armenians who stayed in NK are currently stateless.

“The international community hasn’t made Azerbaijan open the Lachin corridor or leave Syunik. Azerbaijan hasn’t been punished, so it will only continue.”

Residents of Kapan say they don’t believe Azerbaijan wants peace, and don’t feel that Syunik is safe from further Azerbaijani attacks/occupation.

“How could we leave? This is our homeland. Aliyev wants to commit ethnic cleansing, but Armenia is a nation that fights. It’s a matter of survival.”

Sotk, Armenia was among the areas hardest hit by Azerbaijan in the course of its September attacks. Azerbaijan continues to commit ceasefire violations in Sotk and surrounding areas, but residents we spoke to said that no matter what Azerbaijan does, they’re not going to leave.