BY GAREN YEGPARIAN
Itâs no surprise that Turks are killing Armenians again. And, for clarity and the purposes of this observation, thereâs no point in making a distinction between ErdoÄanâs murderous minions and the pup-Turk Azeris being treated as cannon fodder by their âpresidentâ Aliyev. This is a case of history-made-obvious-and-repeating.
Itâs no surprise that Turkey has sent men and munitions to Azerbaijan to attack the Republics of Artsakh and Armenia.
Itâs no surprise that Turks are targeting âsoft targetsâ, i.e. civilians by shelling residential areas of our homeland rather than focusing their (illegitimate) fight against our soldiers.
Itâs no surprise that outsiders havenât done much but call for cessation of hostilities by both sides, as if everyone in the world doesnât know who started both the latest round of bloodshed and every previous round as well.
Itâs no surprise that these same outside powers are concerned only about energy supplies flowing from Azerbaijan being interrupted and the risk of the conflict expanding and drawing in neighbors/regional powers (i.e. Turkey [even more than it is now], Russia, Iran, and perhaps even Europe, the Arabs, and Israelâremember, itâs selling abundant arms to Azerbaijan).
Itâs no surprise that Turkey probably flouted U.S. laws in using an F-16 jet to shoot down an Armenian plane.
Itâs no surprise that this attack and war are happening now. The brief clashes of July were a probe, a warmup, telling us this was coming. But even more importantly and in a slightly broader temporal context, Azerbaijanâs oil production is set to start its decline (barring new discoveries, of course) by mid-decade. Itâs natural gas production will follow suit sometime in the not too distant future. Plus, the world is slowly moving away from the use of fossil fuels. All this means that Baku and the kleptocrats running it while richly lining their pockets will not have the same resources in a few years that they have now. Thus, strike they did, since time is not on their side.
Itâs no surprise that the White House and U.S. Department of State have been relatively quiet. Remember, we learned just a few weeks ago that President Donald Trump is making millions from deals heâs struck in Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Itâs no surprise that Asbarez was under cyberattack for days rendering its website inaccessible. Thatâs a recognition by the Turks of its and the ARFâs (with which it is affiliated) importance and impact on the information scene.
Itâs no surprise that the Turks have resorted to disseminating false information. One ânewsâ item I saw in the non-Armenian media reported that the village of Talish had been taken by the Turks. Later that day I learned that was not true, and that the Azeris had put out video showing burning buildings as evidence. But Talish is a village, not a city, which was on display in those videos ⊠it turns out Baku was using footage of its bombings of Stepankert. Interesting, isnât it? Theyâre confessing to bombing civilians!
Itâs no surprise that Iâve been told of videos, with Arabic voices, in which Islamic extremist mercenaries shipped by Turkey to Azerbaijan are bewailing their fate, complaining that theyâre not accustomed to fighting on mountainous terrain. This probably makes them easy pickinâs for our defending soldiers.
Itâs no surprise that at the three demonstrations I attended last week, our compatriots, in significant proportions, not just a relative handful, willfully and proudly attended with no mask on during this pandemic. The one in Glendale had more than half the faces uncovered, though to be fair, I learned of it late and arrived there as it was breaking up. The ones in Burbank and at the Los Angeles Consulate General of Azerbaijan boasted a more sane recognition of biological reality. (more on demos separately).
Itâs no surprise that Iâve gotten complaints of Facebook taking down pro-Armenian postings, including, Iâm told, one about California congressman Adam Schiffâs assistance in this critical time. At first, my thought was that Turks were complaining about the posts, leading Facebook to remove them. But the latest news from Facebook, that it has decided to ban posts denying the Jewish Holocaust, but not other genocides such as ours and the Rwandan, makes me wonder if thereâs not more here than meets the eye. Facebook had also taken down some Armenian Genocide related postings around the time of its centennial. It may be time to take on this social-media-mega-monsterâŠ
Itâs no surprise that very shortly after the weekend ceasefire went into effect, the Turkish side shelled Armenian territory.
Once again in fairness, there were a few surprises. Franceâs president came out fairly strongly against the true instigators of this last round of fighting. The Washington Post editorially condemned ErdoÄanâs involvement, also citing the other recent fights heâs picked with neighbors. A former NATO generalâs analysis at least laid out the thinking in those circles that Armenian forces would beat Azeri forces. But another piece introduces the Turkish-advisor factor, arguing thereâs no such thing as bad soldiers, just bad commanders or strategy, and lauding the Azerisâ more âmodernâ approach to the current war (including the use of Israeli-built drones) versus Armeniansâ âSovietâ and âdogmaticâ approach, implicitly suggesting the Azeris would prevail in this round of fighting.
What to do from the Diaspora? Unfortunately, weâre somewhat limited. Some people were recruiting volunteers to go fight. Where this has gotten, I donât know. But primarily, and frustratingly, itâs all about money. Give whatever you can. Sending goods is also an option, but far less efficient, given the time it takes to move bulky items such as clothes, food, and other necessities. Many also want to send items that might be of military use. But here, caution is necessary since there may be compatibility issues with the largely Russian-supplied Armenian forces and gear that is produced in the West.
Finally, get out to any and all protests, demonstrations, pickets, etc. that may be organized near you, especially those targeting our clear-cut enemies: Azerbaijan AND Turkey.
Authorâs Note: Apologies to readers for my extended, COVID-era silence. Iâm back!
Dear Garen, great to see you backâŠNo surprise!
Yes, it is no surprise that Toronto Star gave room in its publication to the Turkish Ambassador to convert the truth to exactly opposite to whatâs happening.
It is no surprise that all Armenian organizations and all Armenians from various backgrounds are a united front.
It is no surprise that the tricolour flags are more important for the Armenians than bread and water these days.
It is no surprise that we will prevailâŠwe will survive with a huge cost of human lives.
It is no surprise that we had lost our sleep but not our hope, our will and determination.
Thank you for your return, fraternal greetings