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1. The Turks and their Azeri brethren are experts at erasing history and denying the existence of other cultures whose historic homelands they have claimed, from northern Cyprus, across Anatolia and up to Baku. Of course, realpolitik dictates that due to Turkey’s “strategic importance,” the West continues to turn a blind eye to the ongoing cultural destruction occurring in that part of the world. However, in doing so it imperils its own moral high ground and minimizes the impact of its outrage at the destruction of cultural monuments elsewhere around the world. Washington and UNESCO need to understand that consistency matters, regardless of “strategic” imperatives; otherwise, they become willing accomplices to these crimes. There is no room for selectivity when it comes to protecting the patrimony of humankind.

2. The European Parliament was the only international organization which clearly condemned the destruction of the Julfa Khatchkars. see the links
   http://eafjd.eu/spip.php?article247&var_recherche=Djulfa
   http://eafjd.eu/spip.php?article267&var_recherche=Djulfa
   On 16 February 2006 the EP emergency Resolution “demands that Azerbaijan allow missions, including experts working with ICOMOS, who are dedicated to surveying and protecting archaeological heritage, in particular Armenian heritage, onto its territory, and that it also allow a European Parliament delegation to visit the archaeological site at Djulfa.”
   Later in a 7 April 2006 meeting the Conference of Presidents of the EP ( Presidents of political groups and the President of the EP) decided to send a mission to Nakhitchevan
   http://eafjd.eu/spip.php?article268
   but Azerbaijan banned access to the site.
   The European Armenian Federation acted strongly along with many influential MEPs to insure the decisions of the EP and faced a fierce lobbying from the mixed Azerbaijani/ Turkish governments for that achievement.

3. I’ll tell you why the West doesn’t care about the Muslim destruction of Armenian monuments: because they are Christian. That’s why NATO forces in the Balkans allowed the destruction of 150 Churches right under their noses that they were ‘protecting’. That’s why the US Air force bombed Yugoslavia on Easter day; they wrote ‘Happy Easter’ on the bombs (note that they never bomb Muslims on Ramadan). That’s why the West is aiding and abetting the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafis coming to power in multiple countries in the Middle East that is causing immense suffering to Christians and other minorities. The West no longer cares about the plight of anyone or anything Christian because the West no longer self identifies as a Judeo-Christian civilization. The latter is the result of a century of de-christianization, a process that now powers the self-hating and self-destructive tendencies of the West.

   • So….. You’re kidding right? As someone who grew up in the deep south let me just say that if you think the West is de christianized you are completely out of your mind.

   • geopolitical concerns and money trump imagined religious affinity every time.

     Western European Roman Catholic Christians have no great love for Orthodox Christian Serbs, or Russians, or Armenians.
     RC France under Napoleon invaded OC Russia.
     The coalition that confronted and defeated Napoleon consisted of RC and OC nations.

     Sunny and Shia Muslims have been killing each other for centuries.
     Minority Sunny (dominated) Iraq attacked Shia Iran: the war cost the lives of an estimated 800,000 Iranians and 400,000 Iraqis.
     Christian Germany started two World Wars against other Christian nations: England and France. Total dead close to 100 million.

     Christian Germany was allied with and enabled Muslim Ottoman Turkey to exterminate its Christians.
     Islamic Republic of Iran provided crucial humanitarian aid to Christian Armenia when Muslim Azerbaijan and Muslim Turkey had blockaded her, with some connivance of Orthodox Christian Georgia.

     Regarding UNESCO: Both Turkey and Azerbaijan have lots of surplus funds to ‘contribute’ to UNESCO.
     You can buy a lot of love from someone like Irina Bokova, if you are paying a large chunk of her Org’s budget.
     http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/turkey_announces_5million_donation_to_unesco/

     Armenians: strive to become more powerful and wealthy – weak and poor always get trampled.

4. Mr. Maghakyan:
   Thank you for an excellent, informative and well documented article, and for your website.
   If I may be allowed, you may wish to refer to Nakorno Karabagh as the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the future, instead of the Nagorno Karabakh region.

5. Mr. Terjanian and Mr. Maghakyan,

   You are both wrong – It always was and will be in the future ARTSAKH ! As long as Armenians use the word Black Garden they use the Azeri expression for Armenias most important area. About 1000 years before the first Tartar came to the so called
   Azerbaijan our Krikor Lussavoritch taught Armenians at Amaras.
   If WE don´t teach the world to use ARTSAKH, who then is going to do it ?

   • sorry WR: you are wrong and Mr. Terjanian is right.

     here is the Official web site of NKR Government:

     http://gov.nkr.am/?lang=en

     for a variety of practical and political reasons it is called NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC. When the time is right, people of Artsakh will change it to Republic of Artsakh (or whatever name they choose).

     No biggie.

   • Avery-jan, Thank you for providing the link to the ARTSAKH’s Government website. How about we read more then the heading?

     Here is what I found there:

     Artsakh’s Constitution starts with the following words: “We, the People of Arstakh…” and it’s Chapter 1 Article 1 states the following:

     “Chapter I. The Foundations of Constitutional Order

     Article 1.

     1. The Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh, is a sovereign, democratic state based on social justice and the rule of law.

     2. The Nagorno Karabakh Republic and Artsakh Republic designations are the same.”

   • Voskanapat: I read more of the Constitution.

     Here is what I found:
     There are 5 instances of ‘Artsakh’ in the Constitution.
     There are 68 instances of ‘Nagorno Karabagh’ in the Constitution, including the title – C O N S T I T U T I O N OF THE NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC.

     Almost every Article of the Constitution refers to Nagorno Karabagh Republic.

     Nobody is arguing that Artsakh is not the historic, proper place name.
     And obviously Artsakh sounds far more beautiful to Armenian ears.

     But the people and leadership of Artsakh have chosen to use the official name NKR for their State at this time. See also the Coat of Arms of NKR Army.

     So I stand by what I previously wrote to WR: Mr. Terjanian is right (or maybe more right).

6. here is one more WR:

   Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի Հանրապետության Պաշտպանության Բանակ.

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagorno-Karabakh_Defense_Army

7. To Mr. or Ms http://www.Voskanapat.info:
   I agree with you, it would be better if we all used the term Artsakh Republic (Արցախի Հանրապետություն).
   With all due respect, I have noticed however that, just like the official Artsakh Republic website uses the term “Nagorno Karabagh Republic” (see http://gov.nkr.am/index.php?section=resources/index&type=5&subtype=30 ) in English, Armenian and Russian almost all the time, your own website http://www.Voskanapat.info is also full of the term “Нагорный Карабах”.
   Հարգանոք

8. The opinions about using NKR and Artsakh are always interesting, but like Avery, I don’t think it’s that big a deal, for the moment anyway. In fact, NKR may even provide an advantage… it is our message to the world, that no matter how much you Turkify a name and try to erase its history, Armenia will never be divided as a nation both culturally and physically. Just like “Nagorno Karabakh”, failed to convince anyone that it is Turkish/Azeri land, likewise “East Anatolia” will one day also fail. THE ARMENIAN HIGHLAND can never change, and as Armenians every one of us has a duty to never stop our demand for justice until our nation is fully restored to the last centimeter.

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