The war is taking place within the internationally recognized territory of the Azerbaijan Republic. Nagorno-Karabakh and the 7 other occupied territories are an integral part of the Azerbaijan Republic and it is recognized by all UN Member States around the world including Armenia. Azerbaijan has NO territorial claim on UN-recognized Armenian territories.

1. 20
QUESTIONS
AND
ANSWERS
ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN WAR
OVER THE
NAGORNO KARABAKH

2. What does
Nagorno
Karabakh (NK)
mean?
1.
Karabakh is one of the ancient
historical regions of Azerbaijan.
The name Karabakh is a
combination of the words “gara”
(black, big) and “bagh”
(garden, land) in Azeri
language. The word “Karabakh”
as a name given by Azerbaijani
people to their land first
appeared in primary sources of
the 7th century.
2. WHAT IS IN
THE ROOT OF
THE CONFLICT?
Before the collapse of the Soviet
Union, the Armenians in Karabakh
had already armed and they began
operations there in 1988. Large-
scale military operations were
halted with the signing of a cease-
fire in 1994, and Nagorno-Karabakh
together with another 7, adjacent,
regions of Azerbaijan - Lachin,
Kalbajar, Aghdam, Fizuli, Jabrayil,
Gubadli and Zangilan - were
occupied by Armenia. They created
the so-called ‘Artsakh Republic’ in
the territory of Nagorno Karabakh.
3. HAS ANY COUNTRY
RECOGNISED ARTSAKH
(ARMENIAN NAMING NK REGION)
AS AN INDEPENDENT STATE?
No! The sovereign status
of the Artsakh is not
recognized by any
United Nations member
state (not even Armenia),
but has been recognized
by similiar separatists
countries as Transnistria,
Abkhazia and South
Ossetia that are not
recognised by UN Member
States either.

3. All Azeris who were living in
Nagorno Karabakh and 7
adjacent regions of
Azerbaijan either were brutally
killed or forced to flee from the
war. This has led to more than 1
million
refugees and internally
displaced people in Azerbaijan,
making the country with
one of the highest IDPs per
capita. The Republic of Armenia
is responsible for
the violation of the general
human rights of these refugees
according to Art.
13 (2) UDHR and Art. 17 (2)
UDHR.
4. WHAT HAPPENED TO AZERIS, WHO
LIVED IN NAGORNO KARABAKH?

4. The war is taking place within the internationally recognized territory of the Azerbaijan
Republic. Nagorno-Karabakh and the 7 other occupied territories are an integral part of the
Azerbaijan Republic and it is recognized by all UN Member States around the world including
Armenia. Azerbaijan has NO territorial claim on UN-recognized Armenian territories.
5. WHERE ARE THE MILITARY CLASHES HAPPENING NOW BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND
ARMENIA?
Photo: Azerbaijan Map and Conflict Zone. Source Al Jazeera

5. The UN Security Council adopted no.4 (four) resolutions #822 (1993), #853 (1993), #874 (1993) and
the last one #884 adopted on 12 November (1993) reaffirming previous resolutions and demands for
an immediate cessation of all hostilities and hostile acts with a view to establishing a durable cease-
fire, as well as immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from occupied territories of
Azerbaijan. The OSCE Minsk Group was created in 1992 by the Conference on Security and
Cooperation in Europe to encourage a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the conflict between
Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Resolution 884: https://undocs.org/S/RES/884(1993)
Resolution 874: https://undocs.org/S/RES/874(1993)
Resolution 853: https://undocs.org/S/RES/853(1993)
Resolution 822: https://undocs.org/S/RES/822(1993)
6. What does the international community say about this conflict?
Photo: UN Security Council

6. 1. In August 2019 he gave a speech in the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh saying “Karabakh is Armenia and that's it”. That started the provocation
against Azerbaijan because previously nobody from Armenian officials claimed that Nagorno-Karabakh is Armenia which is a violation of peace talks
and principles by the OSCE Minsk Group. He then actively and publicly tried to change the negotiation format which was originally deemed as a
crucial brick stone for the peaceful solution of the conflict. In particular, he was against the previous negotiation points and most importantly he
insisted on starting negotiations from scratch with the involvement of “The Artsakh Republic” (that not a single UN Member States recognizes).
2. On May 21st, 2020 during the high peak period of COVID-19, Pashinyan provocatively attended an “inauguration ceremony” that was organized in
Shusha (a town with special cultural importance for Azeris) for the leader of the so-called “Artsakh Republic” on Azerbaijan`s territories currently
occupied by Armenia
4. On July 12, 2020, the Armenian Armed Forces grossly violated the ceasefire on the direction of the Tovuz region of the
Azerbaijani–Armenian state border. The Tovuz region is by far not even close to the Nagorno-Karabakh area; nonetheless, it didn’t stop the Armenian
government from attacking Azerbaijani civilians.
6. In August 2020, Armenia provocatively published news about the settlement of two Lebanese families in Nagorno-Karabakh which is again a
violation of international law as these territories officially recognized as an integral part of Azerbaijan.
7. On September 27, 2020 after the next attack on Azerbaijan lands, Azerbaijan started to execute its right to defend its lands as well as civilians
across all fronts against Armenian Forces.
7. WHY ALL OF A SUDDEN THE WAR ESCALATED BETWEEN ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN AFTER 26
YEARS?
The PM of Armenia, N.Pashinyan after the revolution
started with peace messages to Azerbaijan. Despite
some initial indications that he would be more open to a
negotiated solution, Pashinyan has taken a harder line,
including calling for Nagorno-Karabakh to be
formally integrated into Armenia.
Photo: Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan

7. 8. IS IT TRUE THAT TURKEY
IS FIGHTING ALONGSIDE
AZERBAIJAN?
No! the Turkish army does not fight
alongside Azerbaijan even though
they openly announce their
moral support to the Azerbaijan
government and nation. Turkey and
Azerbaijan are brotherly countries
with the principle of “one Nation
two States”. Turkey has openly
supported Azerbaijan since the
beginning of this war in the 90-s and
closed its borders with Armenia
demanding immediate withdrawal of
their troops from officially
recognized territories of Azerbaijan,
which is in line with all no. 4 UN
Security Council resolutions.
9. IS IT TRUE THAT SYRIAN FIGHTERS ARE FIGHTING
FROM THE AZERBAIJAN SIDE?
Absolutely NO! Azerbaijan has over 10 million population and close to
130,000 active armies and 300,000 reserve soldiers, versus Armenia around
60,000 active armies and 260,000 reserve army. Azerbaijan has a strong
professional army (equipped with the latest modern artillery) that can defend its
borders. Besides that, the current battles consist of long-distance artillery usage
and military drone attack that eliminate the need for infantrymen. The presence
of Syrian fighters would require coordination between the regular army and
them, which would create language barriers, discipline issues, and many more
problems. Not mentioning that NK is a mountainous area, where desert trained
Syrian fighters would have no experience.
Photo: Azerbaijan army took control over Armenian military post in
Nagorno-Karabakh

8. No. Azerbaijan
is a multicultural and secular country
with many ethnic and religious
minorities, including Avars, Jews,
Tatars, Lezgins, Talishs, and even
Armenians.
In the city center of Azerbaijan
capital Baku, there is even an
Armenian Church
that is intact until today and is open
for everyone to worship.
Unfortunately
the same cannot be claimed to be
true with all the mosques in
Nagorno Karabakh
after Armenian occupation.
10. Is this an ethnic war?
11. IS THIS RELIGIOUS WAR?
No. Even though Azerbaijan by
the majority (90%) is Muslim-Shia
like Iran,
Iran is mainly supporting
Armenia (not openly, but still
recognizing
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity)
and at the same time, Israel,
Ukraine, Georgia is supporting
Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity
(Photo: Armenian Church in Baku, Azerbaijan)
12. IS IT TRUE THAT
AZERBAIJAN WANTS TO
ATTACK ARMENIA?
No. Azerbaijan President
and government officials
many times indicated
that Azerbaijan has no
territorial claim on UN-
recognized Armenian
territories. Azerbaijan
President and people only
want to restore their
integral territory that is
officially recognized by all
UN Member States

9. 13. WHY DOES ARMENIA WANT THE
NAGORNO KARABAKH REGION?
Nagorno-Karabakh was an
autonomous territory of Azerbaijan
during the Soviet Union where both
ethnic Armenians and Azeris
lived together. After the collapse of
the Soviet Union, Armenia claimed
that this is historical Armenian land
calling it “Artsakh”, even though there
is no proof or historical evidence
that NK has ever belonged to
Armenia.
14. IS IT TRUE THAT ARMENIANS OF
NAGORNO KARABAKH CLAIM THAT
THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO SELF-
DETERMINATION AND THAT IS WHY
THEY OCCUPIED AZERBAIJAN
TERRITORIES?
Armenia has already self-
determined themselves.
Armenia has the independent
Armenian Republic. They can
not self-determine
themselves the second
time in a different country-
independent Republic of
Azerbaijan whose
territorial integrity is recognized
by all UN Member States.
15. ARMENIA CLAIMS THAT IT IS THEIR
TERRITORY BECAUSE THEY CAME TO
THESE LANDS BEFORE THAN ANYONE.
IS THAT TRUE?
There is no proof in history these
territories ever belonged to
Armenia.
Even there is a fabricated history
that does not change the fact that
international law is on
Azerbaijan's side and all UN
Member States recognize the
integral territory of
Azerbaijan Republic. The
Azerbaijan Republic considers
all people and ethnic minorities
as their citizens including
Armenians living
in Nagorno-Karabakh and other
territories of Azerbaijan.

10. Armenian’s believe that in July 1921, Stalin intervened the decision of the
Caucasian Bureau of the Russian Communist Party Central Committee and gave
the NK region to Soviet Azerbaijan. However, according to official archive
documents, it is clearly stated to keep (translated from the Russian word
“оставить”) NK Region ( Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast
(NKAO) within Soviet Azerbaijan ( where it was located initially.
Azerbaijan was an Independent State from May 28, 1918, until 28 April 1920 and
the official territory of Azerbaijan was 114.000 sq ( currently it is 86.000 sq). In all
official documents and maps at that time, Nagorno Karabakh was a part of the
Azerbaijan Republic
16. IS IT TRUE THAT ARMENIA BLAMES IOSIF STALIN FOR
GIVING NK TO AZERBAIJAN?
Photo: “Протокол заседания пленума
кавбюро ЦКРКП (б)” dated 5th July 1921)
Photo: A map of Azerbaijan in 1918
(confirmed in Paris Peace Conference).

11. 17. DO RUSSIA AND
TURKEY HAVE MILITARY
BASES IN ARMENIA AND
AZERBAIJAN
RESPECTIVELY?
Russia has a military base in
Gyumri, Armenia but
Azerbaijan neither has
Russian nor Turkish military
bases in Azerbaijan.
18. IS IT TRUE THAT TURKEY'S F16
SHOT DOWN THE ARMENIAN SU 23
FLIGHT JET?
Armenia is a member of the
Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO) together with
other members: Russia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan. In
nutshell, according to this treaty,
aggression against one signatory
would be perceived as an aggression
against all member countries.
Basically, with fake news, Armenia is
trying to create regional war by
involving CSTO member countries
against Azerbaijan. However, after
the news erupted, Armenia could not
provide any proof and in reality, they
realized their pilot just crashed into
the mountains. Currently, CSTO
member countries can’t intervene
because the war is going on
internationally recognized
territories of Azerbaijan.
IS IT TRUE THAT THE ARMENIAN
FORCES COMMITTED GENOCIDE IN
KHODJALI DURING THE FIRST
ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN WAR?
Yes. The history that Azeri’s never
forget is the Khodjali massacre,
that took place on 26 February
1992 in Khodjali town. Armenian
forces mass murdered 613 civilians
including 106 women and 63
children in Khodjali town. The
Khojaly massacre was
described by Human Rights
Watch as "the largest massacre
to date in the conflict" over the
Nagorno-Karabakh.

12. 20. WHAT IS THE FORMULA FOR PEACE?
There is only one peace formula that is accepted by the
Azerbaijan government and nation. This is Armenia should
withdraw all their armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh
and 7 adjacent regions which are officially recognized as
integral territory of the Azerbaijan Republic by all UN
Member States. Azerbaijan accepts all Armenians of Nagorno
Karabakh as their citizens and provides equal rights to them as
every Azeri citizen. The Azerbaijan Republic even offered the
highest level of Autonomy Status to Nagorno Karabakh but
ONLY within the territory of Azerbaijan Republic.