Provocative anti-Azerbaijani banner displayed in Yerevan as Pashinyan meets Aliyev

A banner displayed during a football match in Yerevan has drawn attention for its political message, potentially sparking debate, as Azerbaijan and Armenia discuss their peace agenda.

TodayPress TV reports, citing Armat Media, that Armenian fans unveiled a banner carrying a political message beyond the scope of football during the Armenia–Cyprus match held in Yerevan on november 12.

The banner read: “Artsakh is not forgotten”.

The accompanying text portrayed two peoples and two homelands as parties wounded by occupation. It claimed that Northern Cyprus had been occupied by Türkiye and Artsakh by Azerbaijan. The pain of being displaced from their ancestral lands, the determination not to forget what had been taken from them, and the hope of returning were presented as factors uniting the two peoples.

The text also emphasized: “A homeland may be occupied temporarily, but the bond between a people and their land is eternal”.

The banner reflected the Armenian side’s position on Karabakh, turning a sporting event into a platform for conveying a political message.

Notably, the incident took place on the same day as a meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The timing has drawn particular attention as discussions aimed at achieving peace and normalizing relations in the region continue.

Zahra Mammadova