Стр. 29 - Azərbaycan xalçaları

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to displaced persons. Both parties consented to the return of the displaced persons to their
homelands within the previous borders, excluding those who took the side of the enemy army
and used arms against their own government or who took part in massacres in the invaded
lands. Although Turkey had every right to demand that the defeated party, the Republic of
Armenia, who was also the major reason for the war, pay compensations, respecting humanis-
tic principles, Turkey refused to do so (Article 8), and promised that it would help Armenians
develop and strengthen their sovereignty within the borders indicated in Article 2. According
to Article 10, the Armenian government accepted as invalid the predatory Treaty of Sevres
(August 10, 1920) that was completely denied by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and
ratified its existence within the borders of the territories envisaged in the Batumi Treaty (Au-
gust 10, 1920). Article 11 concerned the rights of the Turkic-Muslim population living in the
territory of the Republic of Armenia. The Armenian government pledged to guarantee condi-
tions for the Turkic-Muslim population’s cultural and religious development. Article 12 was
about regulating transport issues, especially transit. The Turkish government made a commit-
ment to secure the independence of transit relations along the Sherur, Nakhchivan, Shahtakht,
and Julfa roads. The Turkish government gained the right to keep military forces temporarily
in the Republic of Azerbaijan (Article 13). The Armenian government agreed to consider in-
valid the articles of agreements against Turkey signed with any governments (Article 14). The
final articles considered the regulation of socio-economic relations and the ratification of the
treaty. At the end of the treaty, an idea adopted by both parties prompts contemplation: when
a misunderstanding occurs between the parties, the treaty should be examined on the basis of
the Turkish language text. If we do not reflect on certain unfair articles of the Gumru (Gumru)
Treaty with regard to Nakhchivan province (giving the ancient Turkish lands of Ulukhanli,
Gamarli villages and most importantly, several Azerbaijani villages around Great Vedi to Ar-
menia), this treaty played an important role in determining the current borders of the Nakh-
chivan Autonomous Republic.
The Armenian SSR (1920-1991). The next government established in the territories of Azer-
baijan was the Armenian SSR. Soviet government in Armenia was founded on November 29,
1920. This was different from founding the Armenian (Ararat) Republic as concerns some
particular characteristics. First of all, the Armenian (Ararat) Republic was declared under the
same historical condition and at the same time as the other South Caucasus countries, Georgia
and Azerbaijan. The Sovietization of Armenia occurred seven months (April 28, 1920) after
that of the Azerbaijan SSR. To speed up this process, Soviet Russia donated Azerbaijani lands
to the Armenian SSR. Second, ignoring the Azerbaijanis living in Armenia, Soviet Russia car-
ried out plans to give autonomy to the mountainous region of Karabakh in the Azerbaijan
SSR. Consequently, in addition to establishing the Armenian SSR in the historical lands of
Azerbaijan, grounds were laid for territorial claims through attempts to interfere in the inter-
nal affairs of Azerbaijan by establishing an autonomous body within its territory. As a result
of concerted efforts of the Armenian SSR and Moscow, a large part of Zangazur, historical
Azerbaijani lands, was given to Armenia. Direct contact between Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan
was broken off. Direct contact was created between Armenia and Iran at the same time. On
the basis of the new administrative-territorial division ratified on July 20, 1921 by the Arme-
nian NCC (XKS), one more region, Zangazur, was added to the eight counties. Following all
these changes, Soviet Russia began the ratification of the borders between the South Caucasus
(Soviet government was established in February 1921 in Georgia) and Turkey. On October 13,
1921, with the participation of RSFSR, a new treaty was signed in Kars among the republics of
Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia on the one hand, and Turkey on the other hand in accord-
ance with the RSFSR-Turkey Treaty. The Kars Treaty consisted of twenty articles and three
additions. With the exception of the Moscow Treaty (March 16, 1921), it was stated in the first
article that the treaties signed among the governments realizing their sovereign rights in the
territories belonging to the agreed parties, and the ones associated with the aforementioned
territories and the South Caucasus republics and the treaties signed with third governments
would be rescinded and lose their force. As regards the second article, parties agreed not to
acknowledge any peace treaty or other international act that was introduced to them force-
fully. The republics of the South Caucasus pledged not to acknowledge any international act
not considered by Turkey and vice versa. In the third article it was noted that all the functions
and rights relating to the capitulation regime lost their force and were eliminated. Article 4 was
dedicated to the issue of borders. Article 5 of the Kars Treaty was about Nakhchivan. It was
stated in this article: “The Turkish government, Soviet Armenia and Azerbaijan governments
agree to the Nakhchivan province being an autonomous territory under the control of Azerbai-
jan within the borders shown in the third addition of the treaty.” Under Article 5, Turkey con-
ceded the city and port of Batumi to Georgia under certain terms. Articles 7, 8, and 9 discussed
the border issues between Turkey and Georgia, and the status of the Black Sea and strait. Un-