By CELIL SAGIR
Published: Sunday, October 30, 2005
zaman.com
“We want to return home,” say refugee Azerbaijanis living in a refugee camp near the Sabirabad province. A total of 800,000 Azerbaijani fugitives exiled from lands occupied by Armenians experience the same tragedy.
Some of the Azerbaijanis, whose status was reduced to “refugees” after Armenians occupied their land during the war between 1992 and 1995, continue to live in railway cars, yet some live in jerry-built cabins and some in modern camps established by the state. Currently, we are visiting the Kalaykin refugee camp in Sabirabad within the framework of a press tour organized ahead of the November 6 elections. About 20,000 refugees or “kackins” (as Azerbaijanis call them) live in this camp. The Azerbaijani administration sends a relief of one kg oil, five kg sugar, one kg rice, and six dollars per capita monthly. It is noted the state allocates a total of $130 millions monthly to those, who were forced to depart from the occupied lands.
They believe they will return home sooner or later. Some say, “The Azerbaijani army is not like as before, if necessary we shall take it back by fighting,” reminding Azerbaijan’s defense budget is $600 million as Armenia’s whole budget is one billion dollars.
Children living in the camps with no infrastructure speak fluent Turkish thanks to TV programs they watch on Turkish televisions every day. An Azerbaijani even jokes, “If this situation goes on like this, Istanbul Turkish will be our common language.” When asked which program they watch the most, the children reply, “Sirlar Dunyasi, Buyuk Bulusma, and Kurtlar Vadisi”. They all support Turkish football teams with Fenerbahce with the most fans. Adults mostly support Galatasaray. They also have a message for sports speakers: “Not only the hearts of 70 millions in Turkey but also the hearts of eight millions in Azerbaijan are with Turkey during national football matches.”
Those living in the camps avoid commenting on politics and elections as do most people in Azerbaijan. When I asked, “Why do you avoid from talking about these issues?” one of them replied, “Our democracy has not matured enough yet.” Upon my question whether or not any velvet revolutions like the ones in Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan would occur in Azerbaijan and whether they would march towards Baku, an old refugee utters a meaningful answer: “We hardly stand up because we are starving, how can we march towards Baku?”
Those living in another refugee camp in Bilesuvar province are luckier. The state has granted each family a house with a garden and 0.6 hectares area in this camp, which has a perfect infrastructure. They also have a hospital, community centers and an education center with computers that have Internet connection. Children who are said to attend school are asked what they want to be when they grow up. An interesting answer comes from one of them, “I will be a Turk”.
There are also those who have been trying to survive in railway cars for the past 12 years. A total of 600 families live in railway cars they divided into rooms. Guzel Yusufov, a refugee, whom hosted us in his wagon, said he had to flee from his home in Armenia because of the war with Armenians. That’s why he does not mention about returning home like others. His only wish is to remain in the same city with his family of six.
Despite this tragedy, the international community has not taken concrete steps to end the Armenian occupation in Azerbaijani lands, that has lasted for more than 10 years. Moreover, it is extremely awkward that some countries failing to press Yerevan regarding the Karabagh issue continue to increase their pressure over Turkey on the so-called Armenian genocide allegations day by day.
SABIRABAD
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