Azerbaijan and Armenia are fighting amidst the current pandemic over the Nagorno-Karabakh territory. Armenian-Americans are showing their support for Armenia and solidarity with Nagorno-Karabakh as they protest in the city of Los Angeles. Many are protesting to demand recognition in light of the escalating disputes with Azerbaijan.

Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, is a breakaway region where 95% of its population are Christian-ethnic Armenians who have been inhabiting the lands for centuries. The region is located within Azerbaijan and is under control of the local ethnic Armenian forces, backed by the Armenian government since 1994 at the end of a separatist war. 

With the war outbreaks beginning on Sept. 27, Armenian officials have said that Turkey, a NATO member, is now allegedly aiding Azerbaijan in this dispute by supplying military and hiring mercenaries from Syria to fight for Azerbaijan. Turkey officially addressed this by saying they would provide assistance to Azerbaijan if they requested, but denied sending them foreign mercenaries or weapons. 

The KTLA Press reported this crisis, deeming its fighting “some of the worst in Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas since the end of war in 1944.” 

While Azerbaijan stands with ally Turkey, bound through their relationship as  “two states, one nation,” Nagorno-Karabakh is being defended by Armenian forces and the Armenian people. Since the beginning of the outbreaks, Armenian-Americans took matters into their own hands and set out to protest for awareness of their homeland against the Azerbaijan aggression on the civilians and territory. With Los Angeles being home to the largest Armenian community outside their country, thousands gathered in Hollywood to march on Sunset Boulevard on Saturday night, Oct. 3. 

Protester Natalie Samargian shared her opinion on the current situation: “Azerbaijan and Turkey [have] started a completely unprovoked war… This is, again, a genocide because you have civilians involved, when you have human life, when they are not fighters and they are not soldiers, you are discussing a massacre.” She feels concerned about her brothers and sisters in Armenia. 

As there are over three million Armenians, it’s a diaspora in the U.S. Woven deeply into its culture lies the events of the 1915 genocide. Historians estimate that the Ottoman Turks killed approximately as many as 1.5 million Armenians. 

Ergo, Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked for decades in this conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan views this region as an opportunity to reclaim land that was illegally occupied by Armenian separatists. But the involvement of Turkey supporting Azerbaijan has led Armenians to “view this as a continuation of the genocide,” said Alex Galitsky, who is involved in the LA-based Armenian National Committee of America’s western region. 

The most recent incident raises a significant escalation in violence as Azerbaijan’s ally, Turkey, shot down one of Armenia’s warplanes, killing the pilot inside. The Armenian military said Turkey shot down their warplane and pilot with a Turkish F-16 fighter jet that took off from Azerbaijan. 

Interestingly, Fahrettin Altun, the communications director for Turkey’s president, declared this allegation of Turkey’s escalation in violence was “absolutely untrue.” Azerbaijani officials added on by stating it is only “another fantasy of the Armenian military propaganda machine.”

As Turkey and Azerbaijan continue to deny provoking an escalation of violence, the Republic of Artsakh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a public statement: “In particular, the Azerbaijani-Turkish armed formations are deliberately shelling cities, villages, and civilian products of Artsakh with the aim of terrorizing and destroying the civilian population.”

Nagorno-Karabakh officials said that over 150 servicemen on their side have been killed, along with several journalists who were wounded in the shelling of the town of Martuni and casualties of over 19 civilians with 55 wounded. 

Because Azerbaijan has allegedly cut off all social media channels, except Twitter, citizens are being terrorized with no understanding of what is truly happening. Armenian-Americans have also taken the activism online on social media platforms. Online, social media platforms have been calling for coverage on what the Armenian government deems an “aggressive war” that Turkey and terrorist organizations have waged against the Republic of Artsakh.

To spread awareness, environmentalist and writer Ani Garibyan shared a post on Instagram expressing that “this is a continuation of the Armenian genocide… They dream of a Pan-Turkic state.”

Garibyan went on to ask people to “put pressure on [their] elected officials to demand that both Turkey and Azerbaijan stop their aggression over landlocked Armenia and Artsakh,” continuing to tell others to “please voice [their] concern over this matter and hold [their] governments accountable for not condemning these countries.”

Photo courtesy of ASBAREZ.COM