---
title: "Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey. Who's the Aggressor? ⚔️"
date: 2020-09-27
description: "Three countries, vastly different resources and freedoms. The numbers reveal who's really threatening peace in the region."
tags: [Engineer vs World]
source: https://ashvardanian.com/posts/aggressor/
author: Ash Vardanian
---


On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan attacked civilian populations of Armenia and [Artsakh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Artsakh).
Recep Erdoğan of Turkey reacted by calling "[Armenia the biggest threat to peace in the region](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/erdogan-says-armenia-biggest-threat-to-regional-peace/1987364)".
Please, look at the numbers below and decide for yourself.

|                                                                        | Armenia                               | Azerbaijan                             | Turkey                               |
| :--------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| Population                                                             | 3 Million                             | 10 Million                             | 82 Million                           |
| Leader                                                                 | Nikol Pashinyan since 2018            | Ilham Aliyev since 2003 (after father) | Recep Erdoğan since 2003             |
| GDP                                                                    | 12 Billion $                          | 47 Billion $                           | 771 Billion $                        |
| Military Budget                                                        | 0.6 Billion $                         | 1.7 Billion $                          | 18 Billion $                         |
| Religion                                                               | 94% ✝️                                 | 97% ☪️, 3% ✝️                            | 98% ☪️                                |
| [Global Education Rank](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_Index) | <span style="color:green"># 60</span> | # 64                                   | <span style="color:red"># 92</span>  |
| [Press Freedom Index](https://rsf.org/en/ranking)                      | <span style="color:green"># 61</span> | <span style="color:red"># 168</span>   | <span style="color:red"># 154</span> |
| [General Freedoms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_in_the_World) | <span style="color:green">53%</span>  | <span style="color:red">10%</span>     | <span style="color:red">32%</span>   |

Armenia looks friendlier in every single aspect.
The lack of support for Armenia is increasingly disappointing.
A century ago, the Ottoman Empire committed the [genocide of Armenian, Greek and other Christian minorities in Anatolia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide).
Until now, many countries [haven't recognized](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide_recognition) those war crimes, even though it's an absolute historical fact.

By now, Turks have occupied [Northern Cyprus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Cyprus), [expanded their naval presence in the Mediterranean](https://www.dw.com/en/turkey-threatens-greece-over-disputed-mediterranean-territorial-claims/a-54828554) and attacked civilian populations in Artsakh.
The only reason Artsakh even wants independence from Azerbaijan - is to __[avoid ethnic persecution, like in the 1990s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baku_pogrom)__.
What's the point of UN, NATO and other peacekeeping organizations if they can't even publicly express support for the apparent victims?

I deliberately avoided this topic in 2020.
It was a challenging year for many of us, but today's retaliation by Azeris didn't leave me a choice.
I am in Yerevan, Armenia, myself.
I don't plan to leave, but don't want to join the army either.
I am proud to have intelligent Azeri friends who have nothing to do with Aliyev's political agenda, let's help others see the full picture.