VIDEO: 80 Percent of Hayfields Are Under Azerbaijani Control, Norabakh Residents Tell Visiting MP

MP Taguhi Tovmasyan from the 'We Have Honor' faction visited the village of Norabakh in the Gegharkunik region and spoke with local residents. They outlined their current issues, especially given the proximity of Azerbaijani forces to the village.

One resident mentioned that 80 percent of their hayfields are under Azerbaijani control, making agricultural work impossible. “They tell me, ‘Don’t go forward, what should I do? If I go, will I get shot?’” he said.

Another resident stated he has 6 hectares of hayfield and 4 hectares of arable land, but has not sown anything on those 4 hectares due to the risks posed by harvesting. One local added, “It’s 9 kilometers from here to the border; 3 kilometers are ours, and 6 are in their hands. Just imagine how much territory has been lost. This year, they shot at a tractor, but it was not hit.”

The mayor of Geghamasar, Hakob Avetyan, emphasized that these are indeed the administrative areas of Norabakh, and that Azerbaijani forces cannot claim them as their own. “We are raising these issues loudly, yet certain officials want to convince us that it is their territory, and they are standing in the right place,” he said.

Residents also reported issues with drinking and irrigation water. “There is no water in the drinking water sources. We are fetching water from Vardenis; the pipelines are with the Turks, and they are blocked, we cannot open them,” one resident stated.

Another Norabakh resident observed that raising these issues yields no results. “When you go to Yerevan, they ask if we need Vardenis. They should come and stay here for a day to see if we need it or not,” he added, mentioning that residents often hear the sounds of gunfire.

Norabakh residents noted that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are actively carrying out construction work at the border. “The Turks have moved forward and are working with machinery. The regional administration has said they applied to the Ministry of Defense. It’s true that the equipment is working, but it’s in their administrative area. I have lived here since 1988; we’ve gone to the mountains, and the border is far from the mountain. There is no hope; they are not retreating, and they will come further. Is this becoming a country? We will leave and go away,” the residents expressed.

For more details, watch the video.