513) Armenians Destroy Turkish-Islam Artifacts

Armenia, who complained to Europe about Azerbaijan damaging Armenian graveyards in Nahjevan, was apparently destroying Turkish-Islam artworks in Azerbaijani territory under Armenian occupation.

According to a 15-year research conducted by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Armenians destroyed dozens of mosques under the protection of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Armenians made the following destructions in nine regions, in particular Karabagh: Shusha Mosque, Mosques of Yusufbeyli, Mollali and Mirler in Kubatli, Mosques of Mushlan and Haci Aliler in Zengilan, Mosques of Kengerli and Papravent in Akdam.

Artifacts destroyed in Armenia include: Akdede and Tokmak graveyards, Shah Ismail and Hudabent mosques from the 16th century, Shah Abbas Mosque from the 17th century, Goymasjid, Ulucami, Tepebasi, Haci Nasrallah, and the Kale mosques from the 18th century.

Yerevan; however, complained about Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe and UNESCO for its destruction of historical Armenian graveyards in Culfa, and has now taken the issue to the European Parliament (EP).

The issue of Armenia, which the Council termed as an "occupier," was hotly discussed in an EP session yesterday. France and Germany also backed Armenia in the matter.

The EP report read, "It is claimed the Armenian graveyard in Culfa Nahjevan was destroyed between 1998 and 2000, and Azerbaijan avoided commenting on research results despite the pressures and condemnation of the international community."

Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Istanbul Ibrahim Nebioglu told Zaman that the issue brought to the agenda by Yerevan about the graveyard in Culfa does not belong to Armenians as claimed, but rather to Albanians.

Commission representatives are conducting research in the area, Nebioglu added, and the results will be declared in a month. The ambassador noted that the Armenians aim to make the world accept that Nahjevan is an Armenian land, and will soon make similar demands about the Turkish city of Kars as well.

Nebioglu supposed Armenians used "the cartoon controversy" to their advantage. "They want to get the Christian world's support by claiming their temples are destroyed."


By Bahtiyar Kucuk, Istanbul
February 17, 2006
zaman.com