Monument Watch: Azerbaijani president employs carefully crafted  propaganda ideology of so-called `Western Azerbaijan`

ArmInfo.  Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is using a carefully crafted propaganda ideology of so-called "Western Azerbaijan" to destroy, rename, and ultimately appropriate Armenian heritage, including cultural heritage. Monument Watch warns of this in response to recent statements by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, made at a meeting dedicated to the 80th  anniversary of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

Monument Watch recalled that one of the key topics of his speech was  the historical identity of the territory of Armenia. "The theses  voiced by the Azerbaijani President in his address are not new and  have previously been voiced in his speeches to various audiences.  Interestingly, the thoughts expressed at the Academy were more like a  directive addressed to the scientific community of Azerbaijan," the  organization believes.

According to Monument Watch, during his speech, Aliyev stated that  the Armenian population in the territory of today's Republic of  Armenia is not indigenous, but has lived there since the 19th  century, a consequence of the deliberate policies of the Russian  Empire. Thus, according to the source, Azerbaijan is attempting to  claim that Armenians have no historical right to their homeland.  "That is, the Azerbaijani side justifies its new ambitions with the  principles of historical law and the historical past. It is for this  purpose that the thesis of so-called 'Western Azerbaijan' is being  promoted among domestic and foreign audiences," Monument Watch  emphasized.

The organization is confident that the President of Azerbaijan voiced  his claims to the territory of Artsakh using precisely this same  principle. Moreover, it is noted that before the 44-day war of 2020,  the military- political leadership of Azerbaijan barely spoke about  the historical past of the territory of Armenia.  Monument Watch also  noted that the situation changed after the 44-day war and the ethnic  cleansing in Artsakh in 2023. "It was after this that the idea of a  so-called 'Western Azerbaijan' and the return of Azerbaijanis to  their 'historical homeland' began to be promoted at the highest  government levels. In connection with this, a public organization  called the 'Western Azerbaijan Community' was created, which is  directly sponsored and financed by the state," the organization's  statement continued.

Monument Watch placed particular emphasis on the Azerbaijani  President's order to increase the volume of ongoing work, as well as  the statement that Aliyev will personally oversee the steps taken in  this direction.  Furthermore, it notes that instructions were given  to respond harshly to the Armenian side's attempts to counter  falsifications, specifically to respond to statements from the  Armenian diaspora. The organization also addressed Aliyev's one-sided  and biased comments regarding the geographical names of Armenian  settlements. "We consider it necessary to note that Russian imperial  documents, travelogues, maps, and reports are accessible, published,  and easily verified. These documents provide detailed information  about the region's past, the ethnic composition of the population,  population movements, the residence of various ethnic groups in a  given territory, and the past and present of many settlements.  Therefore, we consider it necessary to note that the Armenian  historical and cultural affiliation of these territories and their  past has never been denied or concealed. These documents contain  descriptions of monuments, which are primarily Armenian," Monument  Watch noted.

In summary, the organization emphasized that the Azerbaijani  president's speech is an ideologically developed policy with its own  subgoals, to achieve which specific problems are being identified and  addressed. "Through the 44-day war of 2020 and the forced  displacement of the entire Artsakh population, Azerbaijan achieved  its military goal and occupied Armenian territories. The regime's  next target is the Republic of Armenia, for which it will exploit the  idea of the so-called 'Western Azerbaijan,'" Monument Watch  concluded.

During a speech at a meeting dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the  Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, President Ilham Aliyev, in  particular, stated that the return of Azerbaijanis to present-day  Armenia should not frighten the Armenian people and the Armenian  state. However, Aliyev did not mention the possibility of Armenians  returning to Azerbaijan. Moreover, Aliyev once again asserted the  sovereignty and historical territories of Armenia belong to  Azerbaijan. According to him, there is no Lake Sevan, only "Lake  Goychey."