First, the good in the bad: Azerbaijan's brutal attack on the Armenian civilian population in Nagorno-Karabakh – with bombs, rockets, and combat drones against men, women, and children – was indeed worth more coverage for our colleagues in German editorial offices. 10-month food blockade With few exceptions, the genocide by Azerbaijan, which led to several deaths from starvation and numerous miscarriages, was not. Even in the 21st century, genocide often occurs in the shadow of media attention.
So now they're finally here: articles, features, news tickers, even live links to correspondents—of course not to Nagorno-Karabakh, and not even to Armenia, but at most to faraway Moscow. But what is the quality of these reports? A few examples, freely quoted from articles from the past few days:
The top 5 mistakes of German journalists on Nagorno-Karabakh
Top 1: “Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan under international law.” – “The Armenian separatists”
The correct answer would be: Nagorno-Karabakh ("Artsakh" for Armenians) has been inhabited by Armenians longer than Christianity has existed. Therefore, Muslim Azerbaijan is persistently striving to destroy historic cross-stones, churches, mountain monasteries, etc. This is a genocide – also cultural – that is legitimized in German editorial offices, even to the point of using the phrase "Armenian separatists." It was none other than Joseph Stalin who gave the predominantly Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan. Incidentally, the right of self-determination of peoples, as an important principle of international law, was worth NATO bombs to Western politicians and commentators in the case of Kosovo.
Top 2: “The fighting / the fighting”
The correct term would be: It takes two to fight, as we all know. However, since in the case of Azerbaijan vs. the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, a heavily armed army with high-tech weapons is "fighting" against families who possess, at most, a few old rifles, the more accurate term here would be: massacre with over 200 dead.
Top 3: “Not even Armenia recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh” – “Armenia does not come to the aid of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians”
The correct answer would be: Armenia is clearly inferior to Azerbaijan militarily. While Azerbaijan's dictator Aliyev, thanks in part to billions in gas aid from the EU, commands a state-of-the-art army and weapons systems from Turkey, Russia, and Israel, the democratically elected government of tiny Armenia has its back against the wall. The fact that Armenia itself has never recognized the "Republic of Artsakh" is solely due to the decades-long negotiations for a peace treaty.
Top 4: “Armenia’s protector is Russia”
The correct answer would be: In Armenia, a democratic and pro-Western government under journalist Nikol Pashinyan came to power in 2018 as a result of the "Velvet Revolution." Since then, Russia has been trying hard to reinstate the Kremlin-loyal oligarchs from the current opposition. This is why Putin presumably already approved Azerbaijan's massive attack on Nagorno-Karabakh. for the year 2020 with over 5.000 dead. Armenia's last hope is by no means Russia, but rather its very unequal partners, the USA and Iran.
Top 5: “The conflict dates back to the end of the Soviet Union.”
The correct answer would be: It is one of the oldest unresolved conflicts in the world, which cannot be understood without knowledge of the Genocide the Turks can understand the 1,5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. Talking to a Turkish or Azerbaijani nationalist about the Armenians is roughly the same as talking to a Nazi about the Jews. Countless Armenians died in pogroms even in the territory of present-day Azerbaijan, for example in Baku. Therefore, experts consider dictator Aliyev's invitation to the Armenian population to live as citizens of his terror state to be a cynical PR stunt at best, while the genocide continues daily. Aliyev quoted his compatriots as saying: The Armenians must be hunted "like dogs." At the victory celebration for the 2020 war, which was fought with massive Turkish support, Erdogan even expressed his joy that one of the main perpetrators of the 1915 genocide could now be satisfied.
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