‘Let Nikol come to our village, we will hand him the hat and say, fight against the Turks’ - a Sotk resident

Residents of the Sotk community in the Gegharkunik region have expressed increasing concern over their safety. In a conversation with 168.am, one resident stated, “Living in the village is becoming more dangerous day by day. There can be a raid at night, who is in charge of the villagers? The authorities are seated comfortably while we are left in panic, not knowing what to do.”

“Just 3-4 days ago, my 14-year-old son went to collect hay with a neighbor's boy, but they had to flee because the enemy started shooting—even with a machine gun from the Sotk side, targeting the hayfield. The kids hid behind a car until the shooting ceased; indeed, they didn’t shoot at the car, but the children were terrified... It’s the same situation every day, which is why the entire farming community is dissatisfied with the authorities and specifically with Nikol.”

When asked why they are dissatisfied, given that Nikol Pashinyan promised a bright future, the Sotk resident replied, “There is no future for our village, specifically for me. There was a time when there was hope, but now there is absolutely no future. When Nikol Pashinyan stands and says ‘who needs the mountains,’ what future is there if those mountains disappear? The Turks will flood into Gegharkunik...”

On being asked why they voted for Nikol Pashinyan if they saw no future under him, the local resident responded, “Very few people from our village voted for Nikol, probably only 20-30 people. Perhaps military personnel from our village voted for him; there are many soldiers who came to vote from Kut, Shorja, and Azat.”

The Sotk resident demands that the authorities immediately push the enemy back to their initial positions to ensure the safety of the villagers: “Our demand is for our village to be safe... Let Nikol come to our village, we will hand him the hat and say, you come fight against the Turks. Why should we, and our children fear every moment, every second? We are afraid at night of every little noise... The authorities should drive the enemy off our land so that people can go collect hay, not be forced to buy a small stack for 2000 drams. Right now I bought hay for 2000 drams while it is up in the fields, but the Turks don’t let us go up, they shoot at us. Why should I go buy hay when my hayfield is up there? I should be able to collect my hay! I challenge the authorities to come and stay in our village for a day; I want to see if they can...”

It should be noted that since May 12, the enemy has violated the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, moving several kilometers forward in the Syunik and Gegharkunik areas, claiming it is their territory and thus, will not retreat. In the Gegharkunik region, the enemy has advanced in the direction of the villages of Kut, Azat, Norabak, and Verin Shorja.