Azerbaijan vows to protect Christian churches as many flee
MOSCOW — The president of Azerbaijan is promising that Christian churches will be protected when the strongly Muslim country takes possession of areas formerly controlled by Armenians, as residents burned down their homes and fled in cars and trucks ahead of Sunday's expected takeover.
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President Ilham Aliyev’s office said he made the promise in a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is deploying peacekeeping forces in the areas under an agreement that ended six weeks of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Ethnic Armenian forces had controlled Nagorno-Karabakh and sizeable adjacent territories since 1994, after the end of a separatist war. Fighting resumed in late September and ended with an agreement that calls for Azerbaijan to regain control of the outlying territories as well as allowing it to keep parts of Nagorno-Karabakh that it seized during the recent fighting.
The first of the territories, Kalbajar, was to be turned over on Sunday. But Azerbaijan agreed at the last minute to give Armenian forces and civilians until Nov. 25 to withdraw.
Kalbajar is home to the well-known Dadivank monastery of the Armenian Apostolic Church. On Saturday, a day before the territory’s expected handover, workers removed many of the monastery’s sacred objects.
Azerbaijani presidential spokesman Hikmet Hajiyev said Sunday that the delay was requested by Armenia and granted “taking into account the worsening weather conditions and the difficult mountainous terrain.”
Civilians fleeing the region caused huge traffic jams on the single road leading to Armenia.
Ethnic Armenian Garo Dadevusyan wrenched off his home's metal roof in Kalbajar in the last few days, trying to figure out how to destroy it.
“In the end, we will blow it up or set it on fire, in order not to leave anything to Muslims,” Dadevusyan said. He piled the roof and family goods onto an old flatbed truck but their final destination was unclear.
“We are homeless now. We do not know where to go and where to live ... It is very hard,” his wife, Lusine, said, choking back tears as the couple gave their house a final look.
Azerbaijan is about 95% Muslim and Armenians fear that churches would be damaged or closed when it takes control of the territories.
"President Aliyev said that Christian churches in Azerbaijani territories, which are returned to Azerbaijan in accordance with the trilateral statement, will also be properly protected by the state. Christians of Azerbaijan will have access to these churches,” said the statement from his office.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of combatants and civilians have been killed since fighting flared anew in late September.
Sandbags and monks in khaki: Russian troops guard Armenian monastery after ceasefire
DADIVANK, Azerbaijan (Reuters) - Soldiers unloaded sandbags and monks donned khaki vests over their cassocks on Sunday after Russian peacekeepers arrived to guard the 12th century Armenian Dadivank monastery in territory due to be ceded to Azerbaijan within days.
President Ilham Aliyev’s office said he made the promise in a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is deploying peacekeeping forces in the areas under an agreement that ended six weeks of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Ethnic Armenian forces had controlled Nagorno-Karabakh and sizeable adjacent territories since 1994, after the end of a separatist war. Fighting resumed in late September and ended with an agreement that calls for Azerbaijan to regain control of the outlying territories as well as allowing it to keep parts of Nagorno-Karabakh that it seized during the recent fighting.
The first of the territories, Kalbajar, was to be turned over on Sunday. But Azerbaijan agreed at the last minute to give Armenian forces and civilians until Nov. 25 to withdraw.
Kalbajar is home to the well-known Dadivank monastery of the Armenian Apostolic Church. On Saturday, a day before the territory’s expected handover, workers removed many of the monastery’s sacred objects.
Azerbaijani presidential spokesman Hikmet Hajiyev said Sunday that the delay was requested by Armenia and granted “taking into account the worsening weather conditions and the difficult mountainous terrain.”
Civilians fleeing the region caused huge traffic jams on the single road leading to Armenia.
Ethnic Armenian Garo Dadevusyan wrenched off his home's metal roof in Kalbajar in the last few days, trying to figure out how to destroy it.
“In the end, we will blow it up or set it on fire, in order not to leave anything to Muslims,” Dadevusyan said. He piled the roof and family goods onto an old flatbed truck but their final destination was unclear.
“We are homeless now. We do not know where to go and where to live ... It is very hard,” his wife, Lusine, said, choking back tears as the couple gave their house a final look.
Azerbaijan is about 95% Muslim and Armenians fear that churches would be damaged or closed when it takes control of the territories.
"President Aliyev said that Christian churches in Azerbaijani territories, which are returned to Azerbaijan in accordance with the trilateral statement, will also be properly protected by the state. Christians of Azerbaijan will have access to these churches,” said the statement from his office.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of combatants and civilians have been killed since fighting flared anew in late September.
Sandbags and monks in khaki: Russian troops guard Armenian monastery after ceasefire
DADIVANK, Azerbaijan (Reuters) - Soldiers unloaded sandbags and monks donned khaki vests over their cassocks on Sunday after Russian peacekeepers arrived to guard the 12th century Armenian Dadivank monastery in territory due to be ceded to Azerbaijan within days.
© Reuters/STRINGER
An ethnic Armenian soldier is seen inside a destroyed school in the village of Knaravan
© Reuters/STRINGER
Russian peacekeepers are seen at Dadivank monastery in Kalbajar district
Russia has deployed troops as part of a Moscow-brokered ceasefire deal to end six weeks of fighting between ethnic Armenian forces and Azeri troops over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.
Russia has deployed troops as part of a Moscow-brokered ceasefire deal to end six weeks of fighting between ethnic Armenian forces and Azeri troops over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.
© Reuters/STRINGER
Ethnic Armenian soldiers are seen in the village of Knaravan
Ethnic Armenians have set fire to their homes, severed electricity cables and cut down trees before leaving the area that is to be handed over to Baku's control.
But Father Ovanes, the superior of the monastery, said he would not leave, regardless of whether there were Russian peacekeepers stationed there to protect him.
"I was prepared and I said: I'm not getting out of here," he told Reuters.
Azerbaijan was initially expected to take over the Kalbajar region, controlled by ethnic Armenians since the end of the first war over Nagorno-Karabakh in 1994, on Sunday.
Ethnic Armenians have set fire to their homes, severed electricity cables and cut down trees before leaving the area that is to be handed over to Baku's control.
But Father Ovanes, the superior of the monastery, said he would not leave, regardless of whether there were Russian peacekeepers stationed there to protect him.
"I was prepared and I said: I'm not getting out of here," he told Reuters.
Azerbaijan was initially expected to take over the Kalbajar region, controlled by ethnic Armenians since the end of the first war over Nagorno-Karabakh in 1994, on Sunday.
© Reuters/STRINGER
A service member of the Russian peacekeeping troops stands next to a military vehicle at Dadivank monastery in Kalbajar district
But Baku has extended the deadline until Nov. 25, presidential administration official Hikmet Gadjiyev said.
Gallery: Fighting between Armenia, Azerbaijan (USA TODAY)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has told his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev to take care of Christian shrines in parts of Nagorno-Karabakh that Azerbaijan gets under the deal, the Kremlin said on Saturday.
Reuters reporters saw Russian peacekeepers guarding a newly established checkpoint next to the monastery. An armoured personnel carrier was parked in front of a chapel, and troops took selfies with the clergy inside
But Baku has extended the deadline until Nov. 25, presidential administration official Hikmet Gadjiyev said.
Gallery: Fighting between Armenia, Azerbaijan (USA TODAY)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has told his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev to take care of Christian shrines in parts of Nagorno-Karabakh that Azerbaijan gets under the deal, the Kremlin said on Saturday.
Reuters reporters saw Russian peacekeepers guarding a newly established checkpoint next to the monastery. An armoured personnel carrier was parked in front of a chapel, and troops took selfies with the clergy inside
.
© Reuters/STRINGER
Ethnic Armenian soldiers load bottles with water into the truck in the village of Knaravan
"We are happy that our Russian soldiers, our brothers are here to protect the border and to protect this monastery, and the monastery will bless them and protect them," said Father Moses, a clergyman.
Peacekeepers might be allowed to remain at the monastery as a result of negotiations which are still ongoing, Father Ovanes said.
The clergy has taken down church bells and cross-stones and sent them out of the region, fearing they could be desecrated and vandalised.
The monastery overlooks a village that was burnt down and abandoned by its residents after the peace deal.
Most residents had already left the Kalbajar district by Sunday, but some Armenian soldiers stayed behind to finish demolishing the houses in another village called Knaravan.
Reuters reporters saw them taking down electricity poles, sawing them and loading them into a truck next to a school that had its windows smashed and roof torn off.
"We don't want to leave to the enemy, to Azerbaijan, what belonged to us. We just try to keep what belonged to us," said one of the soldiers who declined to give his name.
(Additional reporting by Nvard Hovhannisyan in Yerevan and Nailia Bagirova in Baku; Editing by Matthias Williams and Hugh Lawson)
"We are happy that our Russian soldiers, our brothers are here to protect the border and to protect this monastery, and the monastery will bless them and protect them," said Father Moses, a clergyman.
Peacekeepers might be allowed to remain at the monastery as a result of negotiations which are still ongoing, Father Ovanes said.
The clergy has taken down church bells and cross-stones and sent them out of the region, fearing they could be desecrated and vandalised.
The monastery overlooks a village that was burnt down and abandoned by its residents after the peace deal.
Most residents had already left the Kalbajar district by Sunday, but some Armenian soldiers stayed behind to finish demolishing the houses in another village called Knaravan.
Reuters reporters saw them taking down electricity poles, sawing them and loading them into a truck next to a school that had its windows smashed and roof torn off.
"We don't want to leave to the enemy, to Azerbaijan, what belonged to us. We just try to keep what belonged to us," said one of the soldiers who declined to give his name.
(Additional reporting by Nvard Hovhannisyan in Yerevan and Nailia Bagirova in Baku; Editing by Matthias Williams and Hugh Lawson)
Shell-shocked Armenians return to Nagorno-Karabakh after peace deal
STEPANAKERT, Azerbaijan (Reuters) - Armenian refugees who fled a six-week war between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces have begun to return home to Nagorno-Karabakh to try to rebuild their shattered lives after Russia last week brokered a peace deal over the enclave.
© Reuters/STRINGER
Daily life after ceasefire deal in Stepanakert in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh
At least two convoys of buses carrying residents arrived in Stepanakert, the capital of the mountainous area, from neighbouring Armenia over the weekend.
At least two convoys of buses carrying residents arrived in Stepanakert, the capital of the mountainous area, from neighbouring Armenia over the weekend.
© Reuters/STRINGER
Daily life after ceasefire deal in Stepanakert in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh
Under the terms of the agreement, control over the enclave's main city Stepanakert, in territory internationally recognised as Azerbaijan, will stay with ethnic Armenians despite them being forced to cede other land to a victorious Azerbaijan.
Under the terms of the agreement, control over the enclave's main city Stepanakert, in territory internationally recognised as Azerbaijan, will stay with ethnic Armenians despite them being forced to cede other land to a victorious Azerbaijan.
© Reuters/STRINGER
Daily life after ceasefire deal in Stepanakert in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh
On Monday, refugees lined up in the centre of Stepanakert, which had been deserted for weeks beforehand, to collect bags of humanitarian aid which included staples such as canned food and pasta.
Several men handed out rolled-up pieces of plastic which the returnees could use to fix broken windows in their homes
Some said they had come back with a heavy heart.
“I have seen the third war already here. In 1992 and 2016 I did not leave the city for even a minute. But this time it was awful,” said a middle-aged woman who declined to give her name.
The woman, who said she had returned on Sunday, said she had left for the Armenian border town of Sisian after the first week of fighting in early October when she had been forced to hide from shelling in a bomb shelter.
While Stepanakert may remain in ethnic Armenian hands after the deal, Shusha, the second largest town in Nagorno-Karabakh, is now controlled by Azerbaijan after fierce fighting.
On Monday, refugees lined up in the centre of Stepanakert, which had been deserted for weeks beforehand, to collect bags of humanitarian aid which included staples such as canned food and pasta.
Several men handed out rolled-up pieces of plastic which the returnees could use to fix broken windows in their homes
Some said they had come back with a heavy heart.
“I have seen the third war already here. In 1992 and 2016 I did not leave the city for even a minute. But this time it was awful,” said a middle-aged woman who declined to give her name.
The woman, who said she had returned on Sunday, said she had left for the Armenian border town of Sisian after the first week of fighting in early October when she had been forced to hide from shelling in a bomb shelter.
While Stepanakert may remain in ethnic Armenian hands after the deal, Shusha, the second largest town in Nagorno-Karabakh, is now controlled by Azerbaijan after fierce fighting.
“There are no Armenians in Shusha now,” said 35-year-old Alexander Simonyan, a gymnastics teacher from Shusha.
When the fighting began, he sent his wife and children to Armenia and joined the Nagorno-Karabakh defence forces.
He said he now lived with a friend in Stepanakert and had nowhere to house his family, though he hoped local authorities might offer them all somewhere to live. “This is our land. Where else can I go? I can’t live in another place.”
© Reuters/STRINGER
Daily life after ceasefire deal in Stepanakert in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh
The Russian defence ministry said on Monday it had helped 475 people to return on Sunday and that a total of 725 people had come back to the enclave since Nov. 14.
LOST LAND
After the ceasefire, Andranik Sarkisyan, 27, a former fighter, managed to bring his wife and two sons back from Armenia to their home village of Badara in Nagorno-Karabakh.
News of the truce had been painful, he said. “I was on the front line and they (commanders) simply called and told us that the land has been given up. All the soldiers were crying.”
Sarkisyan worked as a hairdresser in Stepanakert before the war and went to fight in the district of Gadrut, which was taken by Azeri forces at the start of the conflict.
Many men in his battalion had been killed by artillery fire in an Oct. 11 attack, he said, adding that he had only survived because he had left earlier to guard a checkpoint.
“The guys were simply burnt, they died, we collected their body parts. I saw it every night. It was unbearable, impossible,” he said.
Such memories make it difficult for him to think about the terms of the settlement.
“It is not about land. It is about the blood spilled on it,” he said. “I hope it was the last war.”
(Reporting by Reuters reporters; Editing by Andrew Osborn and Mark Heinrich)
The Russian defence ministry said on Monday it had helped 475 people to return on Sunday and that a total of 725 people had come back to the enclave since Nov. 14.
LOST LAND
After the ceasefire, Andranik Sarkisyan, 27, a former fighter, managed to bring his wife and two sons back from Armenia to their home village of Badara in Nagorno-Karabakh.
News of the truce had been painful, he said. “I was on the front line and they (commanders) simply called and told us that the land has been given up. All the soldiers were crying.”
Sarkisyan worked as a hairdresser in Stepanakert before the war and went to fight in the district of Gadrut, which was taken by Azeri forces at the start of the conflict.
Many men in his battalion had been killed by artillery fire in an Oct. 11 attack, he said, adding that he had only survived because he had left earlier to guard a checkpoint.
“The guys were simply burnt, they died, we collected their body parts. I saw it every night. It was unbearable, impossible,” he said.
Such memories make it difficult for him to think about the terms of the settlement.
“It is not about land. It is about the blood spilled on it,” he said. “I hope it was the last war.”
(Reporting by Reuters reporters; Editing by Andrew Osborn and Mark Heinrich)
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