Armenian journalist dissects Karabakh in new book

Though Armenian-Azerbaijani relations have attracted much scholarly and journalistic attention, one Armenian journalist and author, Tatul Hagopian, believes his new book presents an original approach to understanding and analyzing the drama.

“Gananç u Sev – Arzakhyan Orakir” (Green and Black – Artsakh Diary) focuses on the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region and is the result of Hagopian’s 20-year investigation of the region and is based on countless historical documents, eyewitness accounts and personal observations. 

“The first victim of the war is the truth,” Hagopian told Hürriyet Daily News & Economic in an e-mail interview, borrowing a phrase from Indian-born British author Rudyard Kipling. “I wrote the truth on paper in all its honesty by listening to the voice inside me,” Hagopian said, adding that because he published the book without any outside sponsorship, he could write as he chose.

Nagorno-Karabakh is an enclave in Azerbaijan that has been occupied by Armenian forces since the end of a six-year conflict that left around 30,000 people dead and 1 million displaced before a truce was reached in 1994.

The region unilaterally declared independence but has not been recognized by the international community. The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been negotiating on the issue under mediation from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, but little progress has been made.

Hagopian was in Nagorno-Karabakh just before the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan erupted. He experienced the war firsthand and observed what was happening – sometimes under fire – passing on news to the Azg, or Nation, newspaper he was working for at the time. 

He witnessed tragedies on both the Armenian and the Azerbaijani sides of the conflict. Since then, he has documented countless stories of pain and suffering, met with the families of soldiers who were taken prisoner, talked to friends and relatives of those who went missing and spoken with those maimed by landmines. Based on his research, Hagopian concludes that over 23,000 civilian lives were lost to the war.

Missing part

Even though he endeavored to remain impartial throughout his research, Hagopian admits that his book is missing one key part: Azerbaijani perspectives. “The opinions and points of view of Azerbaijan should be in this research because every conflict has two sides,” the author said.

Hagopian tried to continue his research in Azerbaijan, but his Armenian identity prevented him from overcoming bureaucratic obstacles. He did not let that stop him, however, as he made interviews with Azerbaijanis living near the Armenian border.

In “Green and Black,” Hagopian also argues Russia attempted to block a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. In his “Meeting with Gorbachev” chapter, for instance, Hagopian says former Soviet leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mikhail Gorbachev told him that Russia forced the problem into a deadlock to look after its own interests.

Hagopian cites details of a meeting between Gorbachev and Silva Gabudigyan, a prominent Armenian intellectual considered by many to be Armenia’s greatest recent poet, which expose how the Nagorno-Karabakh problem was transformed into the gridlock it is today.

In finding a workable solution to the ongoing dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, Hagopian believes that Russia, the United States and other Western countries should all participate in finding a solution to the problem while negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia should continue under watch of international observers.

“If the United States and Russia really want to solve the problem, they should come up with real keys for a solution. Armenia and Azerbaijan will come up with the best solutions by themselves,” he said, adding that a lasting solution can only occur if the two sides continue their dialog. “Unfortunately, however, neither the Armenians nor the Azeris tend to understand each other.” 

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“Gananç u Sev – Arzakhyan Orakir” is currently available only in Armenia but will soon be available abroad in both English and Russian.