Azerbaijani Illegal Armed Deployment in Front of Shurnukh School: Tatoyan Releases Photos

The Azerbaijani illegal armed deployment is situated directly in front of the school in the village of Shurnukh, Goris region of Syunik, where it is prominently marked with the phrase “Önce vatan.” This information was shared on social media by former Human Rights Defender of Armenia and head of the Tatoyan Foundation, Arman Tatoyan.

“‘Önce vatan’ is one of the fundamental slogans of Turkish nationalism (aggressive in nature) that was created during Atatürk’s regime in the 1930s, meaning ‘First the homeland’ or ‘Above all, the homeland.’ This slogan is directly linked to Pan-Turkism and does not recognize the equality of ethnic groups or nations living in Turkey apart from Turks, as Turkish nationalism places equal importance on the idea of creating an ethnically homogeneous Turkish nation. Furthermore, this nationalism was based on the ideology of the Young Turks, serving as its continuation,” Tatoyan wrote.

“Armed personnel constantly monitor the Azerbaijani position adjacent to the Shurnukh school, watching over the children. This armed post also has observation posts that monitor people's movements and illegally collect personal data.”

“These facts were uncovered during our visit to Syunik, alongside Garo Ghazaryan and Garnik Kerkonian. Further investigations were conducted by the Tatoyan Foundation's Center for Law and Justice.”

“Now the question is: What is this nationalist slogan doing here, especially the Azerbaijani illegal armed deployment right in front of the Shurnukh school? It is clear that they are targeting children, attempting to intimidate and exert pressure on our youth. The prominently displayed slogan is designed to be visible to the children.”

“It is evident that this has been done to show aggression towards the civilian population. All of this once again indicates that Azerbaijani armed deployments seriously threaten people's physical security and lives, while deliberately inflicting psychological distress on individuals, including children, keeping them in a state of anxiety and tension.”

“Azerbaijani armed positions should be removed not only from the territories invaded into the Republic of Armenia but also from near Armenian villages and the roads between communities. There should be a demilitarized security zone to restore normal life for people,” Tatoyan concluded.