Why Turkey and Azerbaijan — Not Russia — Remain the Real Threat
“If Armenians forget who tried to erase them — and who is still trying — we have already lost the battle for truth.”
By Levon Baronian
There is a fierce battle today for the Armenian world’s collective mind.
On one side stands the truth — backed by a century of documented history — that Ottoman Turkey committed genocide against the Armenians in 1915–23, and that Turkey and its Azeri allies continue to pursue the same goal: to subjugate or eliminate the Armenian presence from the region in order to fulfill a pan-Turanic agenda.
On the other side is a growing wave of revisionism. This narrative claims that the Turks are not Armenia’s main enemy, that Russia is, and that “peace” with Turkey and Azerbaijan will bring prosperity. It goes further, suggesting that both the Armenian Genocide and the war over Artsakh were somehow “Russian plots” — exaggerated or fabricated to keep control over the region.
This is not just wrong. It’s dangerous. And it’s no accident where it’s coming from.
The Historical Record Is Clear
The Armenian Genocide is not a matter of opinion. It’s a matter of documented fact — acknowledged by scholars worldwide, recognized by dozens of countries, and affirmed by the United States in 2021. The Ottoman state itself left behind evidence in its own court-martial records.
For over a century, the Turkish state has spent untold resources trying to erase or rewrite this history. It has denied the genocide, pressured foreign governments, and tried to turn the focus away from its own crimes.
The Modern Pattern of Aggression
From 1915 to today, the same playbook repeats: violence, displacement, and erasure.
- Artsakh Blockade and Exodus (2022–2023): Azerbaijan’s closure of the Lachin Corridor starved Artsakh for months. Then, in September 2023, a military assault forced over 100,000 Armenians to flee their homes. The International Court of Justice had ordered the corridor to be reopened. Baku ignored it.
- Pogroms of 1988–1990: Armenians in Sumgait and Baku were beaten, murdered, and driven out, while authorities looked the other way.
- Cultural Erasure in Nakhichevan: Satellite evidence shows the destruction of every single Armenian church, monastery, and cemetery in Nakhichevan — including the world-famous Julfa khachkars.
- Eliminationist Rhetoric: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev publicly calls Armenians “dogs,” threatens to take Syunik by force, and promotes the “Western Azerbaijan” doctrine — a direct claim over the Republic of Armenia itself.
“This is not a frozen conflict or a misunderstanding. It’s the continuation of the same anti-Armenian project that began over a century ago.”
How Revisionism Spreads
Azerbaijan and Turkey are not just fighting with armies — they’re fighting with narratives.
- Buying Influence: The “Caviar Diplomacy” scandal revealed how Baku used bribes to soften European criticism.
- Online Manipulation: Azerbaijani troll farms and fake social media accounts push talking points, attack critics, and flood conversations with pro-Baku propaganda.
- Official Propaganda: The “Western Azerbaijan” narrative is being pushed into political discourse and even education to normalize the idea that Armenia is Azerbaijani land.
And here’s the dangerous part: some of these talking points are now being echoed inside Armenia — even by people in government.
Russia and Iran: Not the Same Threat
It is true that Armenia must diversify its foreign policy. But it is false — and historically dishonest — to claim that Russia or Iran are the primary threat to Armenian survival.
Neither Russia nor Iran has committed genocide against Armenians. The Ottomans did. Azerbaijan’s actions since the 1980s — from pogroms to blockades to cultural destruction — are part of that same genocidal continuum.
The Pashinyan Government’s Collusion
Since 2018, and especially in the past two years, the Nikol Pashinyan government has been shifting Armenia’s narrative:
- Calling reliance on Russia a “strategic mistake.”
- Freezing participation in the CSTO.
- Recognizing Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity — including Artsakh — without securing enforceable guarantees.
- Moving forward with talks on opening the Turkish border, even while Ankara ties normalization to Baku’s demands.
- Agreeing to provide Azerbaijan a corridor connecting it with Nakhichevan and Turkey through Armenian territory
These steps are being sold as “peace.” But they’re happening at the exact same time that Azerbaijan is:
- Emptying Artsakh of Armenians.
- Talking openly about taking Syunik.
- Declaring Armenia itself as “Western Azerbaijan.”
“To call Russia — and not Ankara and Baku — the main threat right now is to swallow the very propaganda those capitals have spent years manufacturing.”
What’s at Stake
If Armenians forget who committed genocide, who starved Artsakh, who destroyed Nakhichevan’s heritage, and who is threatening Syunik, then we’ve already lost the most important battle — the battle for truth.
The Path Forward
- Tell the Truth Relentlessly: Keep the Armenian Genocide and its denial at the center of the narrative.
- Name the Current Aggression: Use precise language — blockade, forced displacement, cultural destruction — backed by evidence.
- Expose the Manipulation: Teach people how to recognize paid influence, fake accounts, and propaganda frames.
- Set Conditions for Peace: No “normalization” without real, verifiable security guarantees.
- Remember the Threat Hierarchy: Neither Russia nor Iran has a genocidal record against us. Turkey does. Azerbaijan is continuing it.
Conclusion:
The fight over Armenia’s future will be won or lost not just on the battlefield, but in the minds of Armenians everywhere. The truth is simple: Turkey and Azerbaijan remain the real and present danger. Forgetting that — or worse, rewriting it — is exactly what they want.
