The Askeran clash on 22—23 February 1988 in the town of
Askeran was one of the starting points of
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
-
Azerbaijani conflict, which triggered the
First Nagorno-Karabakh War. The Askeran clash was followed by the
Sumgait pogroms.
Background and clash
On 22 February, two days after the request of
Karabakh National Council to transfer the region of
Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh ( ) is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, within the mountainous range of Karabakh, lying between Lower Karabakh and Syunik, and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains. The region is m ...
to
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...
, a crowd of
Azerbaijanis surrounded the local Communist Party headquarters, demanding information about rumors of an Azerbaijani having been killed in
Stepanakert. They were informed that no such incident had occurred, but refused to believe it. Dissatisfied with what they were told, thousands began marching toward
Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh ( ) is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, within the mountainous range of Karabakh, lying between Lower Karabakh and Syunik, and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains. The region is m ...
, “wreaking destruction en route.” The authorities mobilized roughly a thousand police to stop the riots; the result was a clash in the Askeran region of Nagorno-Karabakh that left two Azerbaijanis dead, 50 Armenian villagers, and an unknown number of Azerbaijanis and police injured.
On ''Azerbaijani Radio'', deputy attorney general Katusev reported the fact that "two inhabitants of the Agdam district fell victim to murder", giving two Muslim surnames. These news, according to Tamara Dragadze, were announced to show the gravity of the conflict and to calm down sentiments.
The news of these clashes sparked the
Sumgait pogrom against
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
residents of the city of
Sumgait
Sumgait (; az, Sumqayıt, ) is a city in Azerbaijan, located near the Caspian Sea, on the Absheron Peninsula, about away from the capital Baku. The city has a population of around 345,300, making it the second largest city in Azerbaijan after Ba ...
on 27 February.
[Ethnic Fears and Ethnic War In Karabagh - Stuart J. Kaufman - Page 23]
References
See also
*
Armenian-Azerbaijani War
{{Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
First Nagorno-Karabakh War
1988 in Armenia
1988 in the Soviet Union
1988 in Azerbaijan
1988 in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Azerbaijani war crimes