Political Turmoil Erupts in Armenia as Prime Minister Contemplates Recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as Part of Azerbaijan

Baku/24.05.23/Turan: In a recent development, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statements regarding the recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan have sparked a heated political debate. On May 23, Ishkhan Saghatelyan, the representative of the Supreme Council of the Armenian National Federation - Dashnaktsutyun party, announced that his party would initiate a new phase of struggle aimed at removing the government from power. Saghatelyan called for mass protests in Armenia and Karabakh to highlight the invalidity of any document that acknowledges Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.

The previous day, an emergency session of the "parliament" of Karabakh took place in Khankyandi. During this session, all speakers vehemently condemned Pashinyan's statements, expressing deep indignation and anger within the Karabakh region. They argued that Pashinyan's position flagrantly violated the Declaration of Independence of Armenia and its Constitution, which explicitly prohibits the adoption of any documents recognizing Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.

Joining the chorus of condemnation, Karabakh separatist leader Araik Harutyunyan voiced his disapproval of Prime Minister Pashinyan's willingness to acknowledge Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan. Harutyunyan emphasized that Karabakh has never been and will never be a part of Azerbaijan. He urged the Armenian authorities to refrain from any actions or statements recognizing Artsakh (Karabakh) as part of Azerbaijan and instead adhere to the obligations outlined in domestic and international agreements. Harutyunyan also appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to ensure the fulfillment of commitments made in the trilateral statement signed by the heads of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia on November 9, 2020.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pashinyan held a press conference in Yerevan, where he stated that Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, encompassing 86,600 square kilometers, includes what he referred to as "enclaves." Pashinyan contended that Artsvashen (Bashkend) falls within the 29,800 square kilometers of Armenian territory, while three other enclaves are part of the 86,600 square kilometers of Azerbaijani territory.

Pashinyan proposed two potential solutions to the issue. One option involves leaving the enclaves under the control of the party situated on the respective side of the territory, based on a principle of territorial equivalence in square kilometers. The other option entails the return of Artsvashen to Armenian sovereignty and the three other enclaves to Azerbaijani sovereignty following the signing of a peace treaty. Pashinyan stated that discussions on this matter with Azerbaijan are ongoing.

Political commentator Elkhan Shahinoglu offered insights on these escalating tensions during a program called "Difficult Question." He anticipated provocations following Pashinyan's statement regarding readiness to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan. Shahinoglu pointed out that Pashinyan had previously expressed readiness to recognize Azerbaijan's territorial integrity but now explicitly mentioned Karabakh's recognition as well. The political analyst noted that it was evident from the outset that there would be opponents to this position.

Shahinoglu identified two opposing forces in the context of recognizing Karabakh as Azerbaijani territory—the Karabakh clan in Armenia and the separatists in Karabakh itself. He drew parallels between the current situation and the ousting of Levon Ter-Petrosyan after the latter advocated for negotiations with Azerbaijan. According to Shahinoglu, the Karabakh clan lacks the capability to act against Azerbaijan as Armenia is not prepared for war. On the other hand, he cautioned that provocations might arise from the Karabakh separatists. Nonetheless, he assured that such provocations should not cause excessive concern since they would provide a basis for anti-terrorist operations if necessary.