“Serzh Sarkisian has not appealed to the society and the people, even though he declared in Germany that force is derived from popular faith,” “Zhamanak” writes in an editorial on the escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “So why has Serzh Sarkisian not appealed to that force, the people’s support? Did he need that support only to repel the enemy aggression? Did the people become a hurdle, not a helpful factor, to internal and external political games and plans afterwards? These kinds of questions become more acute right after every escalation. The longer these questions remain unanswered the more they weaken Armenia.”
“One gets the impression that Serzh Sarkisian is now trying to explore the opinions of all important players by discussing possible ways out of the existing situation and asking for their assistance,” writes “Zhoghovurd.” “Against such a background, Robert Kocharian’s categorical refusal to meet with Sarkisian is only deepening suspicions that the possibility of solutions unfavorable to the Armenians is now being discussed.”
“Hayots Ashkhar” blames Turkey for the April 2-5 fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, claiming that Turkish officers guided Azerbaijani forces that attacked Armenians positions along “the line of contact.” “They not only trained them but also participated in their Karabakh exam,” says the paper. “It is hard to tell how they evaluated their Azerbaijani disciples because the Turkish side has always been skeptical about the Azerbaijani military. But one thing is already evident. Even 100 years after the Armenian genocide Turkey makes no secret of its genocidal goals vis-à-vis not only the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic but also the Republic of Armenia.”
“Any settlement presupposes a situation in which Armenians and Azerbaijanis have to live side by side and trust each other,” writes the “Aravot” editor, Aram Abrahamian. “But if I am 100 percent certain that the Azerbaijanis aim to eliminate me -- not just to eliminate but also behead me -- then why should I enable them to do that without a fight? I’m not saying that we must refuse mutual concessions and adopt a maximalist position. I’m just suggesting that we face up to the reality and understand that the enemy would commit barbaric on every piece of [regained] land.”
Speaking to “Haykakan Zhamanak,” a senior Karabakh official, Davit Babayan, dismisses suggestions that the Armenian military would not have suffered dozens of casualties had it gained prior knowledge of the Azerbaijani offensive. “Such claims that are made by people who have nothing to do with the armed forces,” he says, adding: “Of course, not everything was done ideally and brilliantly [on the frontline.] Serious conclusions must be drawn and they are already being drawn.”
(Tigran Avetisian)