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03.09.2007

ON PURPOSEFUL DISINFORMATION ACTIVITY IN AZERBAIJAN

   

Haykaram Nahapetyan

Disinformation activity carried out by Baku to RA has acquired well-grounded and more systemized character. There is obvious governmental approach, in the country is little by little forming “state information policy,” the component part of which is mass disinformation on Krabakh issue and on the subjects connected with RA. It is quite possible that the work carried out in this direction is systemized in Azerbaijan’s press-cutting service of Foreign Ministry as it is called Management of press and information policy (stressed up by us). One should suppose that the President administration and special services of Azerbaijan are also involved in this work. It goes without saying that a number of not governmental social structures also work in this direction under control. First of all one can mention the organization “Bank of organization” headed by Rovshan Novruzoglu.

Let’s bring the following examples: on February 17, 2005 the Baku based newspaper “Эхо” (echo) announced that the members of Hungarian union “Armenia” claim for Ramil Safarov to be executed in Yerevan. In reality there is no such organization called “Armenia” in Hungary. At the very period the Azerbaijani press was time and again writing that to defend the interests of G. Margaryan’s assignees in the court the Armenians in Hungary gathered €140 thousand, which was not true as well. All these were purposeful steps to direct public opinion and form a support group for Safarov in the country. In one of the Azerbaijani banks was opened an account and people were encouraged to put there money in support of Safarov. The lie about “the Hungarian Armenians who gathered €140 thousand” had an obvious goal: to make the local society “not to leg behind” the Armenian party. According to the press in Baku, for about $25 thousand was as a result accumulated on that account. Later on, in connection with this case was put into circulation the information that before assassinating Gurgen Margaryan with axe Safarov woke him up, which was not true as well. During the Budapest legal procedure press was also washed with other false information.

On November 25, 2006 the Baku based newspaper «Зеркало» (mirror) wrote about a Safa Babayev and Knyaz Kasanov. According to the information provided by the head of “Bank of information” R. Novruzoglu, in 1991 Babayev left Baku for Stepnakert and worked there as a translator in the Armenian system of security services and later on even become the adviser (!) of the NKR president. In the imagination of R. Novruzoglu Knyaz Gasanov worked in the RA Defense Ministry and was even the RA NA adviser of deputies on NKR. Later on R. Novruzoglu represents new “details” about these people living in Yerevan and their support to Talish separatists, etc. Here one can’t but notice obvious influence on social moods, extension of Armeniafobia, instillation of hatred to betrayers. One of the paragraphs of R. Novruzoglu’s article let us guess about one more goal the propagandistic “duck” appeared for: “I suppose that getting acquainted with the facts each Azerbaijani will understand that although marginally, but the betrayers played a great role in losing 20%”, writes the head of the “Bank of information.” As it is known in Baku the military failures were mainly reasoned by the RF support to Armenia, however the Azerbaijani “Expert” invented one more justification of what happened at the front.

R. Novruzoglu also “discovered” a book written by an Armenian writer, publicist Zori Balayan titled “Raising from the dead.” At page 260 of the book the Armenian writer presented details of tortures the Armenian militias inflicted on the Azerbaijanians. In the issue of June 2, 2006 of the newspaper «Зеркало» Novruzoglu also presents the date the book was published – 1996, and the publishing house “Vanadzor.” Let’s mention that Zori Balayan has never written a book with such a title and in the RA doesn’t exist (as much as I know, has never existed) a publishing house called “Vanadzor.”

R. Novruzoglu is also one of the authors of the scientific-fiction story that the Armenians massacred Jews in the territory of Cuba in 1918. Let’s mention that such a false version consistently circulating in Azerbaijan during the last year is also in the center of attention of this country’s National Academy of Science and consistent work is carried out to give the issue international publicity and, in particular, to spread this propagandistic clamor in Israel itself.

Besides, R. Nozruoglu has information that in the Karabakh war also took part sub-units (who could suppose!!!)…from Vatican. According to him on April 24, 2004 the radio station “Voice of Vatikan” made a special release. At that, in the radio station was to be opened “Bureau of Karabakh news” since 2007 (see the newspaper «Зеркало», 27.10. 2006, «Радио «Голос Ватикана» оказывает помощь Карабахским сепаратистам»). Has R. Novruzoglu inform whether the bureau of Karabakh news opened or no? In the context of all the facts mentioned above, the organization “Bank of information” had better be called “Bank of disinformation.”

As evidence R. Melikov produced the article of Harutyun Khachatryan on the growth of rate of emigration from the RA, surpassingly published on July 14 in “Washington post.” A. Khachatryan has never had such an article published in “Washington post.” Furthermore, in this newspaper has never been published any articles on this subject.

The examples may still be continued. The matter is that we deal with intensified Azerbaijani disinformation. The disinformation activity aims at stirring up anti-Armenian moods in the country uniting the society on the basis of anger and even hatred to Armenians. The falsity of information of the neighbor country is known by not many; however the propagandistic “duck” is spreading and penetrating into the society. Azerbaijan also inspires sense of patriotism and self-denial. One should take into consideration that at the Soviet period Baku was an international city, the formation of the Azerbaijani ethnos wasn’t finished yet. As a result, at that period patriotic, nationalistic feeling, dissidence and aspiration for freedom were not much spread. In the international Azerbaijan the ideas of Native land and “protection of their land” were not completely shaped, and at present, by means of different propagandistic tricks, information activity, disinformation and anti-Armenian hysteria is created “Azerbaijani nationalism,” at that, such an occurrence is not only individual, but also of mass and popular character.

The subject of shaping a new Azerbaijani identity, modification of national characteristic and growth of nationalism is a matter of additional discussion and is quite actual in the framework of imagining the moods in the neighbor country, especially among the youth.

But at the moment let’s only mention that unfortunately sometimes the Azerbaijani publications are translated and published in the Armenian press without being checked. It is noteworthy both for the Armenian readers and journalists and analysts to have maximum critical approach while working with Azerbaijani sources. It should be taken into consideration that Baku may also order articles to mass media of the third ward countries on the account of its oil profits. In particular the facts have come to prove that the Azerbaijani embassy in the RF gives such orders to some Russian newspapers - «Коммерсанту», «Время новостей», etc. Taking into account the latest announcement of the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev about the necessity “to attack Armenia from all the directions as well as from the propagandistic front”, this activity must be expected to be stirred up.


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