Azerbaijan will incite war by hitting Karabakh planes – spokesman

By shooting down civilian planes heading from the Stepanakert airport, Azerbaijan will provoke a new war over Karabakh, says David Babayan, a spokesperson for the Nagorno-Karabakh president.

According to him, the legalization of such a measure by the country's government is yet another proof that Armenia faces an abnormal neighbor suffering from morbid fantasies.

Babayan noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) is not going to step back from the decision to operate the airport.

“We are not going to step back from our decision of course, regardless of Aliyev’s behavior. We are capable of ensuring the security of our air space and the entire Karabakh in general,” he said.

Babayan noted that a decision to shoot down civilian aircrafts is peculiar only to a country preaching fascism.

“To me, the decision adopted by their government is the most blatant manifestation of fascism and Armenophobia. A state has to be abnormal to adopt such a decision on its government level. That’s nothing but terrorism,” he said.

Babayan added that it is important for both Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh to raise the question in all international tribunals.

“Because the world community actually swallowed the Safarov deal [the pardon and hero welcome which the Azerbaijani authorities gave to Ramil Safarov, the army officer who was sentenced to life in Hungary for axe-killing an Armenian counterpart], they are now adopting the second abnormal decision which can evoke tension in the region, adding more hazards to the existing situation” he noted.

Babayan said it isn’t difficult for him to guess the motives behind the Azerbaijani leader’s steps. He thinks the Aliyev clan is losing its legitimacy in the eyes of the Azerbaijani public.

“You know Azerbaijan is holding elections this year. Introducing amendments to the Constitution, he [the Azerbaijani president] has made his lifelong ‘election’ possible. But elections never raise his legitimacy,” the NKR official said

He further referred to the Arab Spring that saw long-time leaders step down in just a couple of days. Babayan thinks the Azerbaijani leader is trying to “legitimize his kingdom” in this way.

“So he finds a war and victory in a [new] Artsakh war the only way to strengthen the legitimacy of his own person and his clan. But he doesn’t know it will put an end to his [power] and the Azerbaijani state,” he added.

Babayan stressed the importance of taking a sober approach to the issue to weigh the possibilities of a PR campaign and consider future steps with the involvement of the world community.