53 replies to this topic

[Yervant1]

TURKISH PUBLISHER TO RELEASE THE WORKS OF ARMENIAN, AZERBAIJANI AUTHORS IN ONE BOOK
Alisa Gevorgyan

"Radiolur"
17:34 22.02.2013

The joint publication of the "Stone Dreams" by Azerbaijani author Ekrem
Eylisli and "Artsatagir" authored by Armenian writer Levon Javakhyan
will be released at the initiative of famous Turkish publisher Ragib
Zarakolu, Director of the Begle publishing house, publicist Sargis
Hatspanyan told reporters today.

Following the recent threats to Ekrem Eylisli, Levon Javakhyan decided
to call on the Turkish intellectuals to protect the Azerbaijani author,
stressing that any support by Armenians could be even more harmful
to Eylisli.

In response to the call of the Armenian writer, Ragib Zarakolu
addressed an open letter to PEN International, urging them to support
Eylisli.

Recall that a novella by the Azeri author that portrays ethnic
Armenians sympathetically provoked an uproar in Azerbaijan, with Azeri
lawmakers denouncing the work and protesters burning the author's
portrait outside his house.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed decrees stripping writer
Ekrem Eylisli of presidential pension and the honorary title of
People's Writer of Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

[Yervant1]

OPINION: TRAITORS ARE AXED IN AZERBAIJAN

http://www.a1plus.am...hrayr-ulubabyan
05:02 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

The pogroms of Armenians in Sumgait was the continuation of Turkey's
ideology of creating the Turan, the Great Turkish Empire, says Hrayr
Ulubabyan, co-author of "Genocide, Publicity, Sumgait" book.

Mr Ulubabyan is unable to restrain his resentment every time he speaks
about the Sumgait Massacre.

"They organized demonstrations to instill hatred in the local
population against Armenians. Everything was done openly with extreme
cruelty," Ulubabyan told reporters on Feb. 27.

Gevorg Danielyan, Board Chairman of the Center of the Constitutional
Law, says Armenians should make the struggle for the recognition of
the Sumgait pogroms more unified and conscious.

Mr Danielyan cannot understand the excitement caused by Stone Dreams, a
short novel written by Azerbaijan's most eminent writer Akram Aylisli.

"Those who have read the book did not understand its true meaning.

This is another trick of Azerbaijan's diplomacy. I do not believe
that the writer is really subjected to harassment because traitors
are usually axed in Azerbaijan," he said.

"Stone Dreams" describes the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia,
detailing the massacres of Armenians by Azeris and portraying the
tragedy of war from Armenia's perspective.

It tells the story of two Azerbaijani men and their efforts to protect
their Armenian neighbours during the Sumgait and Baku pogroms in the
closing years of the Soviet Union.

The leading character of the book, an Azerbaijan actor, is in coma;
he had been beaten up for his efforts to help an Armenian old man
from the hands of an angry mob.

[Yervant1]

17:21 28/02/2013 » Society
Ekrem Eylisli author of scandalous novel about Armenian massacre titled ‘‘Stone Dreams’’ decided to leave Azerbaijan


Scandalously famous Azerbaijani author Ekrem Eylisli, who became known for his publication of novel titled "Stone Dreams", expressed his desire to leave for Turkey for permanent residence.
Ekrem Eylisli told about his desire to Turkish media, as the Azerbaijani information agency “Haqqin.az” reports. “Many things happened in Azerbaijan: my works are not printed, my plays are not performed. My future life here becomes impossible. I made the decision to leave my fatherland and to live in fraternal Turkey. I think, I can feel myself comfortable only there. However, for this I will need the invitation of the Turkish side,” said Azerbaijani writer who had undergone a persecution.
Ekrem Eylisli is national writer (since 1998) and Honored Artist of Azerbaijan, holder of the highest order of Azerbaijan “Istiglal” (2002) and the order of “Shokhrat” for his outstanding merits in the literature of Azerbaijan. Recently, on the website of Russian magazine “Friendship of Nations” was published his novel titled “Stone Dreams” in which the author describes the massacres of Armenians in Baku in 1990 and in Nakhichevan in 1919. The author in his novel speaks positively about the Armenian people and their culture. The novel “Stone Dreams” also contains criticism over the former Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev and the tyranny of the system created by him.

After publication of the novel, Eylisli was exposed to severe pressures in Azerbaijan; the pro-governmental youth held rally in front of his house, his issue was discussed in the parliament of Azerbaijan, MPs suggested to burn his books and to deprive him of citizenship and deport from Azerbaijan. Many people “blamed” Eylisli in his Armenian origin, etc. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev deprived him of personal pension and the title of National Writer, and accused him of “purposefully distorting the history of Azerbaijan” and “in distorting realities about history of Azerbaijan in an inappropriate way.”

The leader of the pro-governmental party ”Modern Musavat” Hafis Hajiyev announced that he would pay about 10 Euros to the one who will cut the ear of the writer. Only after the intervention of the media, the politician was “warned” by the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan about the illegality of such appeals.

The U.S. Department of State and the OSCE Office in Baku condemned persecution of Eylisli in Azerbaijan and called on the authorities to fulfill their obligations.
Source: Panorama.am

[Yervant1]

Friday, March 1st, 2013


It’s Time to Expose Azerbaijani Transgressions




Azeri President Ilham Aliyev
BY HRANT APOVIAN
“If a single candle were lighted
for every murdered Armenian,
the light from these candles would be
brighter than that of the moon.”
Akram Aylisli
When the world starts to expose and vilify the State of Azerbaijan as a country rife with human rights abuses, as a promoter of massacres in its country, as an aggressor, and a warmonger, a state that imprisons opposition members and journalists, then one can finally believe that decency in foreign policy takes a front seat to considerations for Azeri oil.
The latest chapter involving human rights abuses and creating popular turmoil in Azerbaijan involves an Azeri writer who was stripped of his honorary title as “the Peoples Writer” awarded in 1998. He is being harassed and vilified for writing a book where he reveals Azeri massacres of Armenians. He had the courage to write that “This nation – Armenia – was tired and exhausted from the violence but they never stopped building their churches, writing their books and raising arms to heaven appealing to their God.”
Transgressions by Azerbaijan date back to and started when Stalin awarded Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh, an Armenian enclave for centuries. During the years of occupation the people of Nagorno Karabakh were subjected to abuses, massacres, and a policy of extermination and depopulation to rid the enclave of its ethnic population.
This policy culminated in a series of Armenian massacres within Azerbaijan, notably in Sumgait, when the people of Nagorno Karabakh opted for independence during the fall of the Soviet Union.
The massacres in Sumgait and other cities in Azerbaijan, which the world chose to ignore were followed by a protracted war against the people of Nagorno Karabakh and which was started by a fierce aerial bombardment of population centers.
Four years later, after mass destruction and the infliction of 30,000 lives lost, Azerbaijan lost the war that it started. The OSCE (Organization for the Security and Cooperation in Europe) Minsk Group comprised of the USA, Russia, and France is trying to seek a peaceful resolution of the conflict based on the right of self determination of the people of Nagorno Karabakh. Azerbaijan is actively sabotaging and blocking any peaceful resolution, becoming more and more intransigent during the negotiations.
This is evidently a ploy by Azerbaijan to buy time, in the mistaken belief that with time, it will gain legitimacy in the quest to reconquer Nagorno Karabakh.
This is based on an Azerbaijani government sanctioned grand design to:
First: Rearm, spending a large portion of its oil revenue building a better military machine. Azerbaijan is buying billions worth of armaments from Russia, The USA, Belarus, Ukraine, Turkey, and Israel, outspending Armenia five to one.
Second: Instilling hatred towards Armenians worldwide in its people. Extraditing Sapharov, an Azeri officer who had murdered an Armenian officer in cold blood during a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) training event, and welcoming him as a national hero.
Third: Mounting a massive diplomatic campaign against Armenia, accusing it of occupying Azeri lands, massacring Azeris in Khochalu, where its inhabitants were granted safe passage out by Armenian forces before attacking it. Azerbaijani propaganda is depicting the conflict as a Muslim – Christian strife. This resulted last month, in an anti-Armenian declaration by the Islamic Conference in Cairo, Egypt.
Fourth: Constantly violating the cease fire agreement across the Azerbaijan – Nagorno Karabakh front, as well as the Azerbaijan – Armenia front and refusing to remove snipers and initiating border incursions that have so far killed many Armenian defense soldiers and civilians.
Fifth: Targeting the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh as well as the Armenian Diaspora worldwide, by vilifying our nation as the aggressor and occupier with a systematic misinformation campaign. This includes promoting anti Armenian sentiments and presenting the conflict as an infringement on Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. An anti-Armenian White House petition was linked to the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, a project headed by Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliev’s multibillionaire wife, Mehriban Aliyeva.
Sixth: Conditioning a thaw in Armenia – Turkey relations and lifting of an embargo on Armenia by Turkey on a favorable resolution for Azerbaijan on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. This is one major reason Turkey reneged on its commitment on the ill fated Armenia – Turkey Protocol agreement.
Seventh: Threatening to down civilian passenger aircraft if the airport in Nagorno Karabakh is put into operation, to forcibly halt planned commercial flights to Nagorno Karabakh.
Eighth: Trying to organize the Azeri Diaspora and spending millions with public relation firms to legitimize and propagate an official misinformation campaign worldwide orchestrated and funded by the government of Azerbaijan.
Unfortunately, the threat of war is having an effect on the civilian population of Nagorno Karabakh, which is trying to rebuild a war ravaged country and has established a viable democratic government. Belligerent declarations threatening war by both Azeri civilian and military officials are constant. However, the West is reluctant to chastise the government of Azerbaijan, and is exercising a policy of appeasement. This emboldens the Azeri government to be more intransigent and to test the will and physical resilience of Nagorno Karabakh defense forces.
Furthermore, the world does not realize and the governing clique in Azerbaijan cannot conceive, that this is a very dangerous course that it is following. If Azeri forces were to attack, the push-back by Nagorno Karabakh and Armenian forces would result in enormous loss of life, destruction of the oil industry, turmoil in the Caucasus, and can conceivably result in more territorial losses for Azerbaijan.
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh have to take Azeri threats very seriously. To rely on the West to restrain Azerbaijan is futile. If Azerbaijan continues in its present course of action, blocking a peaceful resolution of the conflict by grossly miscalculating the success of the military option, Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh should seriously consider pulling out of the negotiations and more actively pursue the recognition of Nagorno Karabakh as an independent nation.
After all, time may be on the side of Azerbaijan. Its massive military buildup is becoming seriously ominous to a dangerous extent. The millions spent on its propaganda machine are beginning to have an effect, by distorting historical precedent. This should remind us that the West will not always side with the righteous and can at any time abandon the people of Nagorno Karabakh to their fate.

English
Armenian

[Yervant1]

17:34 08/03/2013 » Society
Al Jazeera: Human rights situation in Azerbaijan is deteriorating at an alarming rate


While the international community continues to engage in business as usual with oil-rich Azerbaijan, the country is quickly losing claim to any remaining pretence that it is a democracy. Azerbaijani civil society is under attack at unprecedented levels, as the government wages a vicious campaign to silence its critics, American-British human rights activist currently based in London Rebecca Vincent writes in an article in Al Jazeera.

In particular, the Azerbaijani authorities seem intent on punishing those who exposed human rights problems in the country during the period of increased international media attention ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest and Internet Governance Forum (IGF). Rights groups warned of potential retaliation once this attention had faded. They turned out to be right.

“Over the past few months, the Azerbaijani authorities have been scrambling to silence all critical voices in the country - including mine,” the author says and notes that in a highly unusual move, in December, the authorities revoked my residence permit while I was travelling outside of the country, preventing me from returning to my home in Baku and effectively separating my family ever since. No official explanation has been given, but diplomatic negotiations confirmed that the action was politically motivated.

According to her in the run-up to Eurovision and the IGF, she worked with a wide range of international and local human rights organisations that were publically critical of Azerbaijan's record on issues such as freedom of expression and internet freedom, including through two reports that were banned from being distributed at the IGF. But my work with a new local campaign, Art for Democracy, which had launched just a week earlier in a December 11 event, seems to have been the clincher. Art for Democracy seeks to use all forms of artistic expression to promote human rights and democracy in the country.

“Since December, the human rights situation in the country has deteriorated at an alarming rate. In January, authorities responded to an unrelated series of anti-government protests in Baku and other regions.” the author writes.

At the same time, authorities appeared to support protests against the author Akram Aylisli following his publication of Stone Dreams, a novel covering the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict from a perspective his critics allege is sympathetic to Armenia. Pro-government groups held pickets in February calling Aylisli a traitor and burning his book. “Authorities have also started taking steps to eliminate any chance of a free and fair presidential election in October,” the article said.

Republicanist Alternative (REAL) movement presidential candidate Ilgar Mammadov is in pre-trial detention, facing up to 10 years imprisonment on politically motivated charges of organising mass disorder and violently resisting police.

“Despite this rapid deterioration, the international community has hardly taken note. The support promised to Azerbaijani activists by IGF participants has certainly been lacking,” Vincent writes. She recalls that European politicians directly contributed to the downward spiral by failing to support a resolution on political prisoners in Azerbaijan in a January 23 vote at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe - a move that the Azerbaijani authorities clearly interpreted as carte blanche to continue arresting persons for politically motivated reasons.

“To top it all, as recently as February 20, the European Union enhanced a Memorandum of Understanding on Energy with Azerbaijan, signaling once again that in realpolitik, oil trumps human rights,” the human rights activist writes.
Source: Panorama.am

[Yervant1]

19:53 13/11/2013 » Society

Akram Aylisli: I did not write my novel ‘‘Stone Dreams’’ for Armenians but for Azerbaijanis

I would be morally broken, if I had thought that I am somehow humiliating the Azerbaijani people, in an interview with the “Russian Reporter” portal stated Akram Aylisli, prominent Azerbaijani writer and author of a book about the Armenian massacres called "Stone Dreams". The article said that Akram Aylisli met with a reporter on the street: "He was a short, stout man, kind of cozy, in a jacket. You would never think that he was walking there around knowing that they would pay $12,000 for his ears."

Replying to a question whether he was afraid of walking at the streets, the writer said, "Frankly, I barely decided to stay, my heart is not so good. I have lived till 75 and I can give my life to the one who needs peace, human warmth, good relations between neighbors. "

Akram Aylisli, passed his hand over the modestly furnished apartment and noted that his family would not like to lose all its possessions. "For them rapprochement of nations is an abstract notion. For me this matter is a life and death matter, if I die without seeing these two nations together, then I do not want to die like that. When I wrote, I thought to myself, I will not publish it yet. And then I decided, no matter how costly it will be, we should still oppose the things that still happen. The man, who came into this world, must give to the world what God has given to him," he said.

Replying to the question whether it was necessary to go into politics Aylisli noted that "apparently this story was to happen." "Without this persecution the book would have no effect. This, apparently is not depending on me, on the authorities, the life itself is constructed in this way. According to the physics law too, the action appears only when there is counteraction. Though, I was surprised from all of this. The most surprising is that the Armenians now treat us much better than it was before this humble thing," the writer said, noting that he wrote the book not for the Armenians but for the Azerbaijanis.

Commenting on the opinion that by his book he had "insulted" the people of Azerbaijan the writer said, "If I doubted that I have somehow humiliated my people, I would, probably, be broken myself. They want me to say two good words about the Armenian and three about the Azerbaijanis. I had no other worries to keep the balance of opinion! I describe a person, how he perceives. A mentally frail man, who is almost at the edge of madness from this life. He also suffers terribly because he still remembers what he had been told in his village. "

The writer noted that his book is a tragedy of man, when all around him are against his state of mind against his view to the future.
"Brothers, let us recognize that we have done bad things! Only then we can expect for something good. God knows what they did not say: let's see Akram’s blood, though they knew perfectly well that I'm a thoroughbred Turk. That I would like to receive a Nobel Prize. Have I brought goods to a market? But the most annoying thing was that they were saying all of these on behalf of the people. Some cabinet rat teaches me what the people think," he said.

According to the writer, if a referendum is held in Azerbaijan, the vast majority will be for establishment of good relations with the Armenians. If ideologists firmly say that it is necessary to establish good relationships - in the evening, the people will think differently, he said.

"As a child I have heard only good things from my grandmother, mother and uncle about the Armenians. Those who have never seen the Armenians are much more nationalist than those who lived together with them. Rarely anyone would say a bad word – those are half-baked ideologists, not normal, villagers. In villages there have been such demagogues too, Shukshin has described them perfectly," said the writer.

Commenting on the correspondent’s words that "the country has gone crazy and people do not want to understand anything," Aylisli replied, "The man embitters if he by some sense feels the truth, but has to accept the lie for truth."

He also noted that Aliyev is not the owner of the lands; he is only the oil boss. "We fight with the Armenians for the land, while no one needs this land. It turned out that this is not what people wanted to fight for. What to do, perhaps the God or Shaitan needed this, I do not know," concluded the writer.

Akram Aylisli is national writer (since 1998) and Honored Artist of Azerbaijan, holder of the highest order of Azerbaijan “Istiglal” (2002) and the order of “Shokhrat” for his outstanding merits in the literature of Azerbaijan. Recently, on the website of Russian magazine “Friendship of Nations” was published his novel titled “Stone Dreams” in which the author describes the massacres of Armenians in Baku in 1990 and in Nakhichevan in 1919. The author in his novel speaks positively about the Armenian people and their culture. The novel “Stone Dreams” also contains criticism over the former Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev and the tyranny of the system created by him.

After publication of the novel, Aylisli was exposed to severe pressures in Azerbaijan; the pro-governmental youth held rally in front of his house, his issue was discussed in the parliament of Azerbaijan, MPs suggested to burn his books and to deprive him of citizenship and deport from Azerbaijan. Many people “blamed” Aylisli in his Armenian origin, etc. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev deprived him of personal pension and the title of National Writer, and accused him of “purposefully distorting the history of Azerbaijan” and “in distorting realities about history of Azerbaijan in an inappropriate way.”

The leader of the pro-governmental party ”Modern Musavat” Hafis Hajiyev announced that he would pay about 10 Euros to the one who will cut the ear of the writer. Only after the intervention of the media, the politician was “warned” by the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan about the illegality of such appeals.

The U.S. Department of State and the OSCE Office in Baku condemned persecution of Aylisli in Azerbaijan and called on the authorities to fulfill their obligations.

Source: Panorama.am

[Yervant1]

19:07 15/11/2013 » Society

Akram Aylisli: I have always been for peace between Azerbaijani and Armenian peoples

"I personally do not consider Armenians my enemy. I have repeatedly stated that I'm concerned with the existing situation, and I have always stood for peace between the Azerbaijani and Armenian peoples. I'm not afraid! The authorities have already deprived me of the “People's Writer” title and have pressed on my family, and I am afraid of nothing anymore. My time has passed, and now the most important thing for me is the establishment of peace between our peoples," said the famous Azerbaijani writer Akram Aylisli to portal" Haqqin.az ", commenting on his interview given to the "Russian Reporter."

Aylisli stated once again that the Azerbaijanis are fighting against the Armenians for a land which nobody needs. "Truly, at present attitude towards the land acquires different meaning. That’s why I said that the tension between the nations does not depend on the fact whom this land belongs to, and the problem here is much deeper. I believe that the Azerbaijanis and Armenians will live in peace again, if the politicians do not disturb them," he said.

As stated in the material Aylisli does not consider himself an Azerbaijani patriot.

"Where have you seen a patriot writer? He should write whatever he suggest his mind and heart. Creative people should not be inherent to nationalism and patriotism. Did you know what Jalil Mamedkulizade wrote in one of his articles in the journal "Molla Nasreddin" about the Armenians? In 1909, he wrote that after he visited the Armenian village Aylis, he saw the joy in people's faces, cleanliness of streets, civilized people, and on returning to Azerbaijani villages, he saw only weeping and torture. Why nobody accuses Jalil Mamedkulizade for the lack of patriotism and does not dismantle his statue? Because he's a great writer and he wrote what he saw and as he saw," he said.

Akram Aylisli denied also the rumors that he allegedly expects to win a Nobel Prize, as the writer Orhan Pamuk once did. "I do not write my books for prizes or titles, but for the sake of my Azerbaijani readers. And that's my opinion. Someone may disagree with it, some not, and I'm not forcing anyone to read my books and I am ready to hold a civilized debate with everyone, but not with those who simply organizes attacks at a bazaar level," he said.

Akram Aylisli is national writer (since 1998) and Honored Artist of Azerbaijan, holder of the highest order of Azerbaijan “Istiglal” (2002) and the order of “Shokhrat” for his outstanding merits in the literature of Azerbaijan. Recently, on the website of Russian magazine “Friendship of Nations” was published his novel titled “Stone Dreams” in which the author describes the massacres of Armenians in Baku in 1990 and in Nakhichevan in 1919. The author in his novel speaks positively about the Armenian people and their culture. The novel “Stone Dreams” also contains criticism over the former Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev and the tyranny of the system created by him.

After publication of the novel, Aylisli was exposed to severe pressures in Azerbaijan; the pro-governmental youth held rally in front of his house, his issue was discussed in the parliament of Azerbaijan, MPs suggested to burn his books and to deprive him of citizenship and deport from Azerbaijan. Many people “blamed” Aylisli in his Armenian origin, etc. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev deprived him of personal pension and the title of National Writer, and accused him of “purposefully distorting the history of Azerbaijan” and “in distorting realities about history of Azerbaijan in an inappropriate way.”

The leader of the pro-governmental party ”Modern Musavat” Hafis Hajiyev announced that he would pay about 10 Euros to the one who will cut the ear of the writer. Only after the intervention of the media, the politician was “warned” by the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan about the illegality of such appeals.

The U.S. Department of State and the OSCE Office in Baku condemned persecution of Aylisli in Azerbaijan and called on the authorities to fulfill their obligations.
 

Source: Panorama.am

[Yervant1]

THE "RESURRECTED" AKRAM AYLISLI TO TAKE AZERBAIJANI MASS MEDIA TO COURT

by David Stepanyan

http://www.arminfo.a...C600EB7C0D21663
Tuesday, February 11, 12:02

The known Azerbaijani writer, the author of the smash novel "Stone
dreams", Akram Aylisli, is going to take Azerbaijani mass media
to court.

To note, yesterday Azerbaijani mass media informed about Aylisli's
death. His novel "Stone dreams", telling about the Baku massacre of
the Armenians and published in the Russian magazine "Druzhba narodov"
caused a lot of noise and hysteria in Azerbaijan. On February 7,
2013, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a presidential
decree that stripped Aylisli of the title of "People's Writer" and
the presidential pension.

"I am going to punish all those who disseminated such disinformation
and take them to court. I did not die, I am alive", - the 77 year
old writer said when replying Azerbaijani journalists' calls.

[Yervant1]

AZERBAIJANI WRITER AKRAN AYLISLI'S "STONE DREAMS" ONE OF THE BESTSELLERS IN ARMENIA

19:04 21.02.2014

Alisa Gevogyan
Public Radio of Armenia

In the course of one year Armenpress news agency has been compiling the
weekly bestseller list based on studies conducted in seven bookstores
in capital Yerevan. The agency summed up the results of the past year
today. The winners received certificates from Armenpress.

Romanian Armenian writer Varujan Vosganian's "Book of Whispers" and
Azerbaijani writer Akran Aylisli's "Stone Dreams" were named the
bestsellers of the year. The Armenian edition of the "Memories of
My Melancholy Whores" by Gabriel Garcia Markes was the most demanded
translation of the year.

"Antares" won the publisher of the year award. Levon Ananyan's "The
Mother Tongue Lesson" was named the winner on the best children's
work of the year.

President of the Union of Writers Edward Militonyan welcomed the
initiative, noting that it helps popularize the works by contemporary
authors.

http://www.armradio....ers-in-armenia/
 

[Yervant1]

18:34 19/03/2014 » SOCIETY

Aylisli: During Karabakh war I visited all military units and saw how many deserters there were

The other day Azerbaijani news agency APA published an interview with Akram Aylisli, who has been nominated to Noble Peace Prize by a group of public figures leaving in different parts of the world.
It is noteworthy that this interview is very similar to another one Aylisli gave a day before to the Radio Free in Khadija Ismailova’s program “After work”. There is only one exception: in the interview published by APA some ideas were voiced that “Armenian lobby won’t be able to come close to the individuals” who have nominated him for Noble Peace Prize. As well Aylisli gives laudatory comments about the former president of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, whose character is criticized in his work “Stone Dreams”.
“When I met Elçibey I begged him not to build a state in time of war, we have to do something to establish a ceasefire. I wrote about this in the press too. If there was no such strong politician and diplomat as Heydar Aliyev, it would have been difficult to come to that solution,” Aylisli said in an interview with APA.
Meanwhile in an interview with “Hafta.az” Aylisli rejected the information disseminated in Azerbaijani media that he has been nominated to Noble Prize by Armenians. “Nomination is not carried out by the people, but by a group of prominent public figures,” said Aylisli and confessed that there is an Armenian among the signatories whom Azerbaijani writer doesn’t know personally.
Akram Aylisli as well noted that while comparing Noble laureates with contemporary Azerbaijani writings it becomes obvious that there are no writings in Azerbaijan that correspond to that level.
In an interview with Radio Free Aylisli notes that he has written “Stone dreams” based on the stories of his parents and relatives and that when he was a child those stories left an indelible impression on him. “I’ve written my book on the bases of real-life stories of how this or that man, a child and so on were killed or slaughtered,” Aylisli said.
Speaking of Turkish writer Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk , Aylisli noted that in his novel "Snow" Pamuk tells about Turkish nationalism – the reason of the Armenian and Kurdish problem.
“Here we see the following: the return of Karabakh by military means- the state ideology. This is the result of persuasion and work of politicians. Writer’s task is never to reconcile with the policy of hostility between two nations. Even as a deputy I said that bad peace is better than war. I even said that if you so badly wish for war create a squad comprised of your sons and relatives and go to war, we will come behind you. Everyone accused me stating that the concept of homeland is not imprinted in my heart and soul but on my tongue. I regret that the concept of homeland is on the tongue of the majority of my nation. One still needs to seek for people among them who carry homeland in their soul. TV shows a mother who is ready to send all her ten boys to die in the name of motherland. However, during the war I visited all the military units and saw how many deserters were there,” Aylisli noted.
Aylisli as well noted that in his story about the slaughter of Armenians in Nakhijevan in 1919 he tells the truth not for the sake of peace but for the sake of truth itself. “I described the real, true events,” he noted.
Akram Aylisli is national writer (since 1998) and Honored Artist of Azerbaijan, holder of the highest order of Azerbaijan “Istiglal” (2002) and the order of “Shokhrat” for his outstanding merits in the literature of Azerbaijan. Recently, on the website of Russian magazine “Friendship of Nations” was published his novel titled “Stone Dreams” in which the author describes the massacres of Armenians in Baku in 1990 and in Nakhichevan in 1919. The author in his novel speaks positively about the Armenian people and their culture. The novel “Stone Dreams” also contains criticism over the former Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev and the tyranny of the system created by him.
After publication of the novel, Aylisli was exposed to severe pressures in Azerbaijan; the pro-governmental youth held rally in front of his house, his issue was discussed in the parliament of Azerbaijan, MPs suggested to burn his books and to deprive him of citizenship and deport from Azerbaijan. Many people “blamed” Aylisli in his Armenian origin, etc. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev deprived him of personal pension and the title of National Writer, and accused him of “purposefully distorting the history of Azerbaijan” and “in distorting realities about history of Azerbaijan in an inappropriate way.”
The leader of the pro-governmental party ”Modern Musavat” Hafis Hajiyev announced that he would pay about 10 Euros to the one who will cut the ear of the writer. Only after the intervention of the media, the politician was “warned” by the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan about the illegality of such appeals.
The U.S. Department of State and the OSCE Office in Baku condemned persecution of Aylisli in Azerbaijan and called on the authorities to fulfill their obligations.
 
 

Source: Panorama.am

[Yervant1]

MEDIA REPORTS: BAKU DETAINS FAMOUS WRITER AKRAM AYLISLI ATTACKED BY AUTHORITIES FOR DESCRIBING POGROMS OF ARMENIANS

Law 12:59 30/03/2016 Region

Azerbaijani writer Akram Aylisli was detained in Baku Heydar Aliyev
International Airport and taken to the police department on the
airport shuttle, Turan news agency reports.

According to the writer's wife, on March 30, at 5:11 a.m. local time,
Aylisli together with his elder son Ilias was to fly to Venice
to participate in an international literature festival, but the
frontier guards did not allow him to pass stating that his departure
was prohibited.

Akram Aylisli is national writer (since 1998) and Honored Artist
of Azerbaijan, holder of the highest order of Azerbaijan "Istiglal"
(2002) and the order of "Shokhrat" for his outstanding merits in the
literature of Azerbaijan. In the beginning of 2013, on the website
of Russian magazine "Friendship of Nations" was published his novel
titled "Stone Dreams" in which the author describes the massacres of
Armenians in Baku in 1990 and in Nakhichevan in 1919. The author in his
novel speaks positively about the Armenian people and their culture.

The novel "Stone Dreams" also contains criticism over the former
Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev and the tyranny of the system
created by him. After publication of the novel, Aylisli was exposed
to severe pressures in Azerbaijan; the pro-governmental youth held
rally in front of his house, his issue was discussed in the parliament
of Azerbaijan, MPs suggested to burn his books and to deprive him of
citizenship and deport from Azerbaijan. Many people "blamed" Aylisli
in his Armenian origin, etc.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev deprived him of personal pension
and the title of National Writer, and accused him of "purposefully
distorting the history of Azerbaijan" and "in distorting realities
about history of Azerbaijan in an inappropriate way." The leader of the
pro-governmental party "Modern Musavat" Hafis Hajiyev announced that
he would pay about 10 Euros to the one who will cut the ear of the
writer. Only after the intervention of the media, the politician was
"warned" by the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan about the illegality
of such appeals. The U.S. Department of State and the OSCE Office
in Baku condemned persecution of Aylisli in Azerbaijan and called on
the authorities to fulfill their obligations.

https://urldefense.p...kTBj9KTBJMos&e=
 

[Yervant1]

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
April 1 2016


Azerbaijan opens probe against prominent writer

BAKU - Agence France-Presse


Azerbaijan has opened a criminal case against a prominent author who
has been a target of a state-approved intimidation campaign after
publishing a novel he says was intended to build bridges with arch-foe
Armenia.

"Police launched a criminal case against me on hooliganism charges,"
Akram Aylisli, who has received threats and seen his books burned,
told AFP on April 1.

"They say I hit a police officer in the face, which is of course
untrue," the 78-year-old author added.

Aylisli said he was briefly detained in the Baku airport on Wednesday
and prevented from travelling to Italy where he was due to attend a
literary festival in Venice.

"A border officer told me that I am banned from travelling abroad, but
later returned my passport and I was released," he said

Aylisli's novella "Stone Dreams", which depicts relations between
ethnic Azerbaijanis and Armenians in Azerbaijan, sparked outrage in
the country for what critics say is a pro-Armenian presentation of the
bloody conflict between the ex-Soviet neighbours over the disputed
Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The novella's 2013 publication in a Russian-language magazine,
Friendship of Peoples, was followed by a hostile intimidation campaign
after the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan party demanded that the writer
repudiate his book and apologise before the nation.

Days later crowds started regularly gathering outside Aylisli's home,
burning effigies of him and shouting insults.

Azerbaijan's strongman leader Ilham Aliyev has stripped Aylisli of his
honorary title of "People's Writer", his medals and a presidential
pension.

The writer's wife and son were forced to resign from their jobs.
Televised auto-da-fes of the writer's books were held across the
country.

The leader of the pro-government Yeni Musavat party, Hafiz Gadjiyev,
has publicly pledged a $12,000 reward to anyone who would cut off
Aylisli's ear.

Human Rights Watch has condemned "a campaign of vicious smears and
hostile rhetoric" against the writer who was nominated in 2014 for the
Nobel peace prize.

In a 2013 interview, Aylisli told AFP that his book is "a hand of
friendship, stretched out to the Armenians".

Mostly inhabited by ethnic Armenians but falling within Azerbaijan's
borders, the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh has claimed 30,000 lives,
and no final peace deal has been signed since a 1994 ceasefire.

Azerbaijan has threatened to take back the disputed region by force if
negotiations do not yield results, while Armenia has vowed massive
retaliation against any military action.


April/01/2016

https://urldefense.p...xuyM5V6Cw70U&e=
 

[Yervant1]

Akram Aylisli sends open letter to Aliyev

• From: Mihran Keheyian <mkeheyian@gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2016 17:10:55 +0100

Akram Aylisli sends open letter to Aliyev

10:16, 20 April, 2016

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani writer Akram Aylisli, who
is being persecuted by the Azerbaijani authorities for his
anti-leadership behavior, speeches and for his famous pro-Armenian
works, sent an open letter to President Ilham Aliyev, “Armenpress”
reports citing the Azerbaijani Minval.az news site.

In the letter Aylisli told Aliyev that investigation of the criminal
case against him ends soon. “I am accused of allegedly committing a
robbery in the Baku airport when I was going to Venice Literary
festival. However, the video recording devices were not fixed such
case. Besides, I am accused of hitting a border patrol officer causing
bruises in his body. It sounds strange, however, the video recording
devices again have not fixed such case. Can you convince anyone that
78 year old man can commit such a thing against 35 year old youth?”,
said Aylisli stating that when he was accused in the airport, he even
did not believe that the case will really reach to the court.

The writer expected that Aliyev will say something about this case,
however, he kept silence during the whole process which led the writer
believe that the authorities are not interested in his existence and
literary activity.

“In recent years me and my family were subjected to many insults and
deprivations. I have a strong desire to live calmly in our country.
However, the reality is different: the persecutions still continue
which started 3 year ago”.

However, Mr. President, there was no need to start this campaign.
Firstly, my novel entitled “Stone Dreams” came out from the political
context and found its place in the literate circles”, the writer said
adding that the book has been published by various publishing houses
which appreciated the literary value of the work.

“I have been nominated for Nobel Prize by 13 professors, however, you
should not view it as an intensification of the Armenian campaign
since those people who signed this document are not involved in any
other political game. I am absolutely confident that as long as we do
not want to listen to the world, the world will not listen to us”, the
writer said noting that there is a need for ideological changes in
line with economic reforms in the country.

He stated that he does not understand what problems his works could
create for Azerbaijani authorities and for the state ideology. He was
against the persisting view in the country that his novel “demolishes
the Azerbaijani people”.

He noted that he is much more concerned about his family and the
future of unemployed children. “It would be naive to think that in
wolf-bureaucrats and corrupt country anyone will take care of my
children. It is already three years that I am being subjected to
psychological pressure and violation of my basic rights.

Honourable President, believe, I have never been in favor of scandals.
I am not guilty that the incident in the airport created such a
resonance in the world and is being released by numerous mass media.
With this letter I am confident that You will conduct the necessary
steps to punish the real guilty of the incident”, the writer concluded
the letter.

https://urldefense.p...0UGojvyTQXjg&e=
 

[Yervant1]

Javid Ramzanli: Education with vast diapason of world view is encouraged among Armenians, and Azerbaijan needs to learn from them

CULTURE 10:59 29/04/2016 ARMENIA



“No matter what door is opened, an Armenian surely appears from there. They have an infinite and innumerable quantity of people --  literary critics, scientists, political, public, and cultural figures, actors, footballers, even show business celebrities,” Azerbaijani columnist Javid Ramzanli writes forkultura.az.

The author particularly notes that the winner of this year’s Pulitzer Prize in Poetry was an Armenian -- Peter Balakian -- for his “Ozone Journal.” “Knowing people are aware that Pulitzer is the most authoritative award in the field of literature, journalism, photography, etc. in the US. Being a Pulitzer laureate means having a world recognition, and having all the doors opened,” Ramzanli writes.

Drawing comparison with the Azerbaijani society, the author notes that education, erudition with a vast diapason of world view, learning languages, studying arts are a norm and are permanently encouraged among the Armenians. Whereas the Azerbaijanis “try to compete with the Armenians for some reason not in those spheres, but in the field of ‘dolma-badimjan-zurna-balaban’.”

The author emphasizes that even if the Armenians are considered enemies in Azerbaijan, it is necessary to learn from them. However, he thinks that Azerbaijan has almost lost the convenient historical moment, which is already slipping out of its hands. “Billions of oil dollars have been spent not on the cultivation of the healthy thinking, specialists, an educated and perspective generation, but on singers, and luxury, which served as a satisfaction of the country’s own ego. Instead of investing in people, they invested in marble and concrete,” the author writes adding that the authorities refuse to send the Azerbaijani youth to study abroad owing to the absence of financial resources.

The author writes that the Armenian diaspora, on the contrary, meeting young people with at least a small thirst for study in the most remote places of Armenia, takes them to America, Europe, etc., creates all the opportunities for them to study and become respected people, who can present the Armenian nation in the world. The Azerbaijani officials “destroy their home” and complain that the world favors the Armenians.

Ramzanli also analyses the events unfolded during the early April escalation in the Karabakh conflict zone. According to him, Azerbaijan itself is to be blame that the international press representatives could visit Armenia without any difficulty and write news from there, whereas such obstacles are created for access to Azerbaijan that people refuse to go there.

He also notes that on one hand, the war generated euphoria, but on the other hand, the number of the killed young men caused a feeling of tragedy in the society. As a result, the authorities found scapegoats – Ali Karimli and the Turkish singer Hadise. They carried out a rally in front of Karimli’s house, and “raised a howl” discovering the Armenian flag on Hadise’s dress.

 

http://www.kultura.a...51152&sec_id=60

http://www.panorama....amzanli/1571097