copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: Nagorno-Karabakh region is a territory of Armenia (Nagorno-Karabakh region, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-09-21): ARARAT MIRZOYAN, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia, said that, during the General Assembly’s session, currently under way, where members of the international community gathered to look for ways to maintain peace and security worldwide, Azerbaijan unleashed yet another large-scale offensive against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh in blatant violation of international law and the trilateral statement of 9 November 2020. Stepanakert and other cities and settlements came under intense and indiscriminate shelling with use of missiles, heavy artillery, combat unmanned arial vehicles and aviation, including prohibited cluster munition. The current aggression came as a culmination of a 10-month blockade of the Lachin Corridor and forced starvation imposed on the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. Severe shortage of food, medicine, fuel, natural gas, electricity and other essential goods had already brought the vulnerable people of Nagorno-Karabakh to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe. [...] After three years of suffering, Azerbaijan was left with no choice but to take measures it deemed necessary for its own security and launched its counter-terrorism operation against the illegal military formation in Karabakh, he continued. Echoing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in his statement to the General Assembly earlier this week, he said: "We expect Armenia to fulfil its promises... Karabakh is Azerbaijani territory; the imposition of a status other than that will never be accepted." He urged Armenia and other interested parties "not to waste this latest opportunity, not to repeat the previous and recent mistakes, and to act with the prospect to live as peaceful and prosperous South Caucuses for future generations".
Claim: Nagorno-Karabakh region is a territory of Armenia (Nagorno-Karabakh region, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-08-12): The Air and Missile War in Nagorno-Karabakh: Lessons for the Future of Strike and Defense The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region included the heavy use of missiles, drones, and rocket artillery. The fighting, which began in late September, concluded on November 10 through a Moscow-brokered truce that resulted in the deployment of some 2,000 Russian peacekeepers and significant Armenian territorial concessions. Azerbaijan was the clear military victor, with both Russia and Turkey also benefiting politically from the war’s outcome. [...] Sources: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan
Claim: Nagorno-Karabakh region is a territory of Armenia (Nagorno-Karabakh region, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-04): Until September 2020 the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding territories were under Armenian control. Following armed hostilities in the fall of 2020 and fall of 2023, Azerbaijan took control of these seven territories and Nagorno-Karabakh. Further military activity could occur in the region. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Azerbaijan. [...] Nagorno-Karabakh – Level 4: Do Not Travel
Claim: Nagorno-Karabakh region is a territory of Armenia (Nagorno-Karabakh region, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-01-19): Nagorno-Karabakh is a long-disputed enclave in Azerbaijan that had been primarily populated by ethnic Armenians and led by Armenian de-facto authorities since December 1991. On 19 September 2023 Azerbaijani armed forces launched a military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh under the pretense of "anti-terror measures" and regaining regional control of the territory. Over a 24-hour period Azerbaijani forces launched attacks using heavy artillery, drones and mortars, killing hundreds of people, including some civilians, and reportedly damaging civilian infrastructure. The escalation of hostilities ended on 20 September with a ceasefire that included provisions for the Armenian de-facto authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh to disband and disarm its local defense structures. The cessation of hostilities was followed by a decree signed by the President of Nagorno-Karabakh, Samvel Shahramanyan, to fully dissolve Nagorno-Karabakh’s ministries and other agencies by 1 January 2024. The decree also called for the local population to "familiarize themselves with the conditions of reintegration presented by the Republic of Azerbaijan" and make "an independent and individual decision" on whether to stay or leave the region. Following the cessation of hostilities, over 88,700 refugees fled to Armenia in less than a week, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). As of 16 October, a reported 101,848 people, including 30,000 children, had fled, constituting more than 80 percent of the estimated 120,000 inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh. More than 170 people were killed and nearly 300 injured during the mass exodus when a gas station exploded on 26 September. The cause of the blast remains unclear.
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-09): Syunik (Armenian: Սյունիք,[a] Armenian pronunciation: [sjuˈnikʰ] ) is the southernmost province of Armenia. It is bordered by the Vayots Dzor Province to the north, Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic exclave to the west, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran to the south. Its capital and largest city is the town of Kapan. The Statistical Committee of Armenia reported its population was 141,771 in the 2011 census, down from 152,684 at the 2001 census.[6] [...] Geography [edit]Syunik is located between the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan from the west, and districts of Lachin, Qubadli and Zangilan of Azerbaijan from the east. It was bordered on the east by Kashatagh Province of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic between 1992 and 2020. The Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia forms its northern border, while Aras River at the south separates Syunik from Iran. Syunik covers an area of 4,506 km2 (1740 sq. mi.) (15% of total area of Armenia), making it the second-largest province in Armenia after Gegharkunik in terms of the total area. [...] Syunik is a mountainous region, mainly covered with thick green forests. The Zangezur Mountains occupy most of the territory of Syunik. Mount Kaputjugh with a height of 3905 meters (12,812') and Mount Gazanasar with a height of 3829 meters (12,562') are the highest peaks of the province.
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2017-01-01): Syunik RegionOld Khndzoresk cave settlement is set on the right and left slopes of a long valley. The slopes are in turn punctuated by deep gorges. There are more than 1800 remaining cave dwellings, finally... Syunik RegionThe city of Kapan is located in the southern half of Syunik, about 300 km from Yerevan on the (M2). The town straddles the Voghchi River and is hemmed in by the towering Zangezur Mountain Range and... [...] Syunik region- It is in the southern part of Armenia, bordering by Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic exclave, the de facto independent...
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2019-01-01): Syunik (Armenian: Սյունիք, Armenian pronunciation: [sjuˈnikʰ]) is the southernmost province of Armenia. It is bordered by the Vayots Dzor Province to the north, Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic exclave to the west, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran to the south. Its capital and largest city is the town of Kapan. The Statistical Committee of Armenia reported its population was 141,771 in the 2011 census, down from 152,684 at the 2001 census.
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-03): In April 2021, Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev made irredentist claims over Armenia's capital Yerevan, Zangezur (Syunik), and Sevan (Gegharkunik), declaring that they are "historical lands" of Azerbaijan.[109][110] He said that if Armenia would not agree to provide a corridor from Nakhchivan to western Azerbaijan through Armenia's Syunik Province, then Azerbaijan would establish it through the use of force, claiming that Azerbaijani people would return to what he described as "West Zangazur".[111][112][113][114] Turkey supports Azerbaijan and also seeks territorial control over Armenia's Syunik province.[115] [...] On 22 July 2021, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made another irredentist claim over Armenia's province of Syunik (also known as Zangezur), saying that it is "our own territory":
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2021-05-21): The recent Azerbaijani border line encroachment towards Syunik should not surprise us at all. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s threats after the war over Artsakh to forcibly open a "corridor" connecting Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave via Syunik, the role of Azerbaijani media in mobilizing its people for the "cause of Zangezur corridor," and spreading the narrative of Zangezur being "Azerbaijani ancestral land" all fall within the context of the recent escalation. [...] On May 12, 2021, no less than 400 Azerbaijani soldiers crossed several kilometers into Armenia in the provinces of Gegharkunik and Syunik. They invaded Lake Sev, which is located to the east of the village of Ishkhanasar and mountain Mets Ishkhanasar in the Syunik province; they also stationed themselves near the villages of Verin Shorzha and Kut in the Gegharkunik province (taking control of dominant hills). Despite the fact that Soviet maps state that only 30-percent of Sev Lake belongs to Azerbaijan, Baku had occupied the entire lake. Meanwhile, Ishkhanasar (which is the highest peak in the area with an altitude of 3,550 meters) is of strategic importance for Azerbaijan; by controlling the mountain and the surrounding area, Azerbaijan would have fire control over Syunik and Lachin Corridor. Hence, if another war erupts in the future, Azerbaijan would easily squeeze the supply routes towards Artsakh.
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-10-16): Baku recognizes Syunik as a sovereign territory of Armenia, Elchin Amirbekov, the representative of the President of Azerbaijan, said in an interview with the Russian service of the BBC, answering the question about Armenia's concerns regarding possible threats from Azerbaijan. "We accept that it is the sovereign territory of Armenia. It is important to understand how the Armenian side will ensure the safety of traffic through the transport corridor," Amirbekov stated. "Reliable security guarantees are necessary for every passenger who will board a train from the main part of Azerbaijan to Nakhijevan or in the opposite direction," the politician said. Amirbekov added that Baku is ready for negotiations, but if Armenia decides to postpone the process, then Azerbaijan is ready to create a route through the territory of Iran.
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2014-06-20): Syunik (Armenian: Սյունիք, Armenian pronunciation: [sjuˈnikʰ]), is the southernmost province of Armenia. It is bordered by the Vayots Dzor Province from the north, Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic exclave from the west, Nagorno-Karabakh Republicfrom the east, and Iran from the south. Its capital and largest city is the town of Kapan. The National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia (ARMSTAT) reported its population was 141,771 in the 2011 census, down from 152,684 at the 2001 census. [...] Syunik is located between the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijanfrom the west, and the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from the east. The Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia forms its northern borders, whileAras River at the south separates Syunik from Iran. Syunik covers an area of 4,506 km² (15% of total area of Armenia), making it the second-largest province in Armenia after Gegharkunik in terms of the total area. [...] Syunik is a mountainous region, mainly covered with thick green forests. The Zangezur Mountains occupy most of the territories of Syunik.Mount Kaputjugh with a height of 3905 meters and Mount Gazanasar with a height of 3829 meters are the highest peaks of the province.
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2019-01-01): Syunik (Armenian: Սյունիք,[lower-alpha 1] Armenian pronunciation: [sjuˈnikʰ] ) is the southernmost province of Armenia. It is bordered by the Vayots Dzor Province to the north, Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic exclave to the west, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran to the south. Its capital and largest city is the town of Kapan. The Statistical Committee of Armenia reported its population was 141,771 in the 2011 census, down from 152,684 at the 2001 census.[6] [...] Syunik is located between the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan from the west, and districts of Lachin, Qubadli and Zangilan of Azerbaijan from the east. It was bordered on the east by Kashatagh Province of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic between 1992 and 2020. The Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia forms its northern border, while Aras River at the south separates Syunik from Iran. Syunik covers an area of 4,506 km2 (1740 sq. mi.) (15% of total area of Armenia), making it the second-largest province in Armenia after Gegharkunik in terms of the total area. [...] Syunik is a mountainous region, mainly covered with thick green forests. The Zangezur Mountains occupy most of the territory of Syunik. Mount Kaputjugh with a height of 3905 meters (12,812') and Mount Gazanasar with a height of 3829 meters (12,562') are the highest peaks of the province.
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-05): Zangezur was the name of a district created by the Russian Empire in 1868 as part of the Yelizavetpol governorate, covering an area including what is today the southern part of Armenia.[25] Syunik, the Armenian name, is an older term dating back to antiquity (see also; Syunik (historical province)). The area of Syunik/Zangezur was disputed between the first republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan between 1918 and 1920, following the collapse of the Russian empire. In January 1919, Britain approved Azerbaijani jurisdiction over the territory[25] but Armenian resistance outlasted military pressure until both republics were integrated into the Soviet Union. [...] Syunik...is coveted by both the Azerbaijani and Turkish states as the site of a future illegal, so-called "Zangezur Corridor" [...] Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly threatened the sovereign Republic of Armenia (even suggesting that its capital, Yerevan, is historic Azeri land) and pushing — with its ally Türkiye — for an illegal so-called "Zangezur Corridor" through Armenia's Syunik province, which would effectively constitute an occupation of Armenian land and would cut Armenia off from direct land access to its important southern trade partner, Iran.
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2011-01-01): Syunik region is located in the southern part of Armenia. It is bordered by Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan, Iran, and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Syunik was one of the provinces of the ancient Kingdom of Armenia. Historically the region was known as Syunia, Sisakan and Zangezur. [...] The capital of Syunik is Kapan, also known as Ghapan. The most beloved of Armenian hikers Mount Khustup rises above Kapan and beautifies the panorama of the city. [...] The climate of the Syunik region is diverse. But mostly the area is warm. The temperature in January ranges from +0.9 °C to -9.8 °C. The town of Meghri of the Syunik region is the warmest one in Armenia.
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2019-06-04): Syunik is the southernmost region that connects Armenia to Iran and includes the towns of Sisian, Goris, Kapan and Meghri. It is one of the most captivating regions of Armenia in terms of both its natural landmarks and its historical-architectural monuments. This region consists of nearly every climate zone in Armenia, including the warm valley of Meghri, the forested mountains of Kapan, and alpine meadows of Goris. Textile and carpet weaving have been preserved in some places across the region, while in others you may find stonemasons, cross-stone or khachkar carvers, carpenters, and potters. [...] Syunik’s villages are very hospitable and in their small rural restaurants you may taste various local dishes such as the region’s tolma, ghapama, qyalagyosh, ghavurma, halim, dishes made from the famous Goris beans, summer khashlama with vegetables, and cheese that is seasoned with local herbs and aged in the ground in clay pots. All these can be enjoyed with local fruit vodkas among which Karahunj’s mulberry vodka is the most popular.
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-24): Geography [edit]Syunik was a big region in the east of historical Armenia.[9][10][1] In the west and north-west, it bordered on the Ayrarat Province;[11] in the east, the natural border between Syunik and Artsakh passed through the Hakari river (left inflow of the Aras).[11] In the north-west, Syunik shared a border with lands situated in the direct neighborhood of Ganja, and in the south-west, it bordered on Nakhichevan[11] (Vaspurakan Province). The north of Syunik comprised Gegharkunik[12][13] and Sotk which lied on the coast of Lake Sevan.[12] In the south, the territory of Syunik extended to the Aras River.[9][11]
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-06-04): Syunik is located between the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan from the west, and the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from the east. The Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia forms its northern borders, while Aras River at the south separates Syunik from Iran. Syunik covers an area of 4,506 km² (15% of total area of Armenia), making it the second-largest province in Armenia after Gegharkunik in terms of the total area. Historically, the current territory of the province occupies most of the historic Syunik province of Ancient Armenia.
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-11-05): Syunik is Armenia's most remote province, making up the country's narrow southern tip. Its slim southern edge borders Iran; across its eastern border is Azerbaijan's mainland; and to its west is Azerbaijan's exclave of Naxcivan. The region's strategic location, combined with its prominent place in Armenian history, makes it, in Armenian discourse, the "backbone" of the country. Regional and international attention began to turn to Syunik immediately following the 2020 Second Karabakh War, when Azerbaijan retook most of the territory it had lost to Armenian forces in the first war between the two sides in the 1990s. That territory included the Azerbaijani provinces of Zangilan, Qubadli, and Lachin, all of which border Syunik. [...] At the same time, Azerbaijani officials began to advance ambiguous claims on Syunik. As part of the cease-fire that ended the 2020 war, Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to cooperate on new transportation routes that would connect Azerbaijan's mainland with its exclave of Naxcivan. While Syunik wasn't explicitly named in the agreement, it is the shortest route between the two parts of Azerbaijan and Soviet-era transport infrastructure remains through the region that could be restored.
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-10-17): Azerbaijan eyes southern Armenian border province of Syunik After taking full control of Nagorno-Karabakh in September, will Azerbaijan go further? In the southern Armenian province of Syunik, residents are increasingly worried about the threat from Baku. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev claims Syunik and much of Armenian territory is historically Azerbaijani, referring to it as "Western Azerbaijan". Since 2020, Azerbaijan has also taken 150 square kilometres of Armenian land near the border, according to Armenian officials. FRANCE 24's Catherine Norris Trent, Julie Dungelhoeff and Mohammed Farhat report.
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-09-25): There is a credible apprehension that Azerbaijan and Turkey, in alignment with their shared strategic interests, may actively seek to establish the conditions for a potential military intervention in Armenia’s Syunik Province, with the ultimate aim of securing the Zangezur Corridor. [...] The basis of this position lies in Tehran’s acknowledgement of the province’s crucial role in preserving the essential link between Armenia and Iran. The Syunik Province serves as a linchpin in averting the isolation of Yerevan, underlining the significant geopolitical implications associated with its territorial integrity. [...] On the other hand, Iran’s firm position about the Syunik Province and a possible Azerbaijani military operation in the area might further exacerbate the situation and open a conflict which might involve also Turkey, a NATO member.
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-02-13): Last year Azerbaijan recaptured its Nagorno-Karabakh region held for decades by ethnic Armenians. [...] The attack in Armenia's south-eastern Syunik province also comes days after Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev won a fifth term in office, and local commentators have raised concerns that he may be considering further military action to seize Armenian territory. [...] More than 100,000 ethnic Armenians fled Azerbaijan's military conquest of Karabakh last September. The South Caucasus territory, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, had been recognised internationally as part of Azerbaijan but had been in Armenian hands for more than 30 years.
Claim: Syunik Province is a territory of Azerbaijan (Syunik Province, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2021-11-19): But with Azerbaijan’s military victory and the recapturing of almost all of its lost territories, the border areas between Armenia’s Syunik and Gegharkunik provinces, and Azerbaijan’s newly established East Zangezur region have become militarised front lines. [...] Syunik Province separates Azerbaijan from its exclave, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, in some places by less than 40km (25 miles). [...] "The Azerbaijan strategic goal is to establish at least de facto control over Syunik province," says Benyamin Poghosyan, a Yerevan-based political scientist. "President Aliyev of Azerbaijan has stated many times publicly that Syunik province artificially separates the Turkic world spanning from Istanbul to Kazakhstan."