The situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan has never been an easy one since the foundation of the nation states. The South Caucasus, previously a multi-ethnic, peaceful region, often turned into a bloodbath due to the incited nationalism in the near past, which we are still witnessing in the last few days. This is strengthened, especially in Azerbaijan, by the links with Turkey, which is closely linked to the Aliyev clan. Erdoĝan with its AKP- MHP regime, which also likes to speak of “brother people”, is trying to spread the war in the Middle East to the South Caucasus as well. The AKP- MHP regime has been carrying out a campaign of annihilation against the peoples of the Middle East for years, especially the resistant Kurdish identity is a thorn in its eye. The genocide of the Armenians, many massacres of the Lases, the Kurds and other ethnic minorities were the basis on which the Turkish state was established and still today it continues this policy in its own country, the surrounding countries and through deputies such as Azerbaijan. By fuelling nationalism and taking advantage of the existing externally fuelled conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, another front is being opened in the extermination mania of the AKP- MHP regime. Erdoğan never tires of stressing that Turkey will continue to stand by the friendly and brotherly Azerbaijan with all its means: “Turkey will never hesitate to take action against attacks on Azerbaijan’s territory”. Erdoĝan forgets that his friends are the ones in power and the blinded nationalist part of the population, but there is also the other side, the fighting freedom-loving part of society, especially the youth, in Azerbaijan and in Armenia.
All fighting and freedom-loving people in Azerbaijan and Armenia must stand up together
As Azerbaijani and Armenian feminist internationalists within the freedom movement, we call on the youth of Azerbaijan and Armenia to oppose this instrumentalisation and to set a clear signal for the freedom and self-determination of all peoples! Together with the Erdoĝan regime, Aliyev is trying to rob Azerbaijani and Armenian society of its free and peace-loving soul, let us not allow this to happen! For centuries, if not thousands of years, the Armenian and Azerbaijani people have lived together peacefully. Since the beginning of nation-states and nationalism, attempts have been made to destroy this common life and to instrumentalize it for a war from which not the peoples profit, but a small power elite in their own country and the imperial powers. We don’t want to be a youth on the same level who, like robots in the capitalist West, think only of their own career and their own advantage, as Aliyev would like to have it or who are limited by nationalism in their own thinking, instead of seeing the beauty of diversity.
We must now turn our attention to the struggle against hierarchical values, authoritarian institutions and all the atrocities against societies based on patriarchal and capitalist values and take a stand against them. As long as prosperity is concentrated in a few hands of a very small group of people, nationalism and hatred will be used to justify their own policies and war.
The concept of nation states has brought nothing but suffering and division in the South Caucasus. We need to rethink, which recognises the diversity of the peoples of the region and allows them to live together in peace. We call on all feminist fighters and freedom-loving people in Azerbaijan and Armenia to fight together against the Nagorno-Karabkh war!
Kollektiv Rhizom Schwarzer Bete