Opposition infiltrates Karki, Pashinyan draws the “map”: A bitter showdown in Yerevan

Against the backdrop of a series of meetings held by the “Armenia” faction with Western diplomats and the Russian ambassador, another opposition force — the “Strong Armenia” bloc — has drawn attention with its visit to Karki (Tigranashen, as Armenians call it).

On September 10, lawmakers from the bloc met with local residents to discuss problems in the village and said they would present an “alternative program” for its development. The opposition figures, who claimed that returning the village to Azerbaijan was unacceptable, linked their position to Karki’s strategic location. In their view, this is not merely a village but an important transport hub connecting northern and southern Armenia, and its fate directly affects the country’s transport, economic and food security.

The question is whether the Karki issue could become a real lever of pressure against the Pashinyan government in Armenia’s domestic politics.

Speaking to TodayPress TV on the issue, Azer Gasimov, Secretary for Public and Political Affairs of the AHD Party, said that the Armenian opposition was looking for ways to create problems for the government:

“They know that Karki is a sensitive issue for Azerbaijan. They know very well that Azerbaijan will never concede Karki to Armenia. That is why they visit these territories and make provocative statements. At the same time, they want to convey to the Armenian public that Pashinyan will return Karki and the other two villages in Gazakh to Azerbaijan. At least, Pashinyan has stated that these villages belong to Azerbaijan. By making this statement, Pashinyan has officially put an end to the issue. Time will show whether he is sincere.”

The analyst said that Karki and the two villages in Gazakh are of strategic importance to Armenia:

“These villages are located in areas bordering Georgia, Türkiye and Iran. However, this does not give Armenia the right to refuse to return these villages. It is impossible for the return of Karki to become a real lever of pressure against the Pashinyan government. This issue must be resolved before the peace agreement is signed, and there is no other way out. Azerbaijan can, if necessary, allow Armenia to use these villages for transit.”

It should be noted that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Karki, like the other enclaves, is not part of Armenia’s internationally recognized territory of 29,743 square kilometers.

Commenting on the opposition’s statements that the “handover” of Karki village is unacceptable, Pashinyan reiterated his earlier position on the issue. According to him, those who say “we will not allow this” are provoking war.

The prime minister said that acknowledging a fact is one thing, while resolving it on the ground is another.

“There is currently no agreement. My main task is to reduce tensions so that normal solutions can be reached. But if someone says that Karki is in Armenia, that means saying that the territory is not 29,743 square kilometers but, for example, 29,750 square kilometers, and that amounts to declaring war,” Pashinyan stressed.

Giymat Mahir