An Armenian Turkologist spoke out against attempts to deny the value of Artsakh and the liberation of Armenia.

ArmInfo. Armenian Turkologist Varuzhan Geghamyan called on everyone not to become complicit in the great lie that Artsakh and the liberation of Armenia have never been values for Armenians, and that the Armenian people are faceless and willing to endure humiliation.

On his Facebook page, Geghamyan responded to attempts to distract Armenian citizens from what happened on September 27, 2020. "Yesterday we witnessed exceptional baseness and lies. On September 27, 2026, everything was done to prevent people from remembering Artsakh, to forget the losses, values, and dignity." "This vileness, which began with a demonstrative disregard for the symbolism and historical significance of this day, reached its visual apogee when an entertainment concert was broadcast on state television," the Turkologist wrote.

He also expressed his conviction that this was not simply an act of oblivion, but a demonstrative disregard and disgust for the hundreds of thousands of people, citizens and mourners, for whom September 27 holds great significance. "Such behavior has nothing to do with ideology or political programs. It lies in the realm of the human and inhuman, moral and immoral. In any normal state and society, people who behave like this could under no circumstances hold government positions, let alone play any public role," the expert believes.

Geghamyan noted that for him, such behavior was entirely expected. Moreover, he expressed conviction that the same fate would soon befall any national symbol, even national dances, which, according to him, are still tolerated on the streets of Yerevan. The Turkologist clarified, however, that the true addressee of this post is not even the de facto authorities. He noted that many "silent leaders"—public figures, bloggers, and influencers—are reading and discussing it. "I know that fear and opportunism have forced many of them to even 'justify' evil. But even with such a position, a drop of humanity and morality must remain in a person. To remain silent and thereby indirectly participate in all this means becoming an accomplice. There is humanity beyond politics. Yesterday, a blow was dealt to our human dignity," the expert emphasized.

In connection with the above, he recalled lines from one of his famous essays, "Living Not by Lies." Alexander Solzhenitsyn: "The most accessible key to our liberation is personal non-participation in lies! Let lies cover everything, let lies control everything, but let us dig in our heels on the smallest thing: let them control everything, not through me!" Geghamyan called on Armenians not to become part of this lie. "Do not become complicit in that great lie that Artsakh and the liberation of Armenia have never been values for us, and that our people are faceless and ready to endure humiliation. Do not contribute to the perpetuation of this lie by your silence. Finally, do not allow the memory of those who, believing in these ideals, sacrificed their earthly lives to be erased. Honor their memory, cherish it. "This is your duty, your mission, if you will (what Chomsky called 'the responsibility of intellectuals') in these difficult times and the only key to our internal and external liberation," the expert concluded.

As a reminder, on the night of September 27, 2020, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, in tandem with Turkey, committed military aggression against Artsakh. During the bloody fighting that lasted 44 days, on the night of November 9-10, 2020, a statement was signed, with Russia's mediation, declaring a cessation of hostilities and the deployment of Russian peacekeepers to Artsakh. As a result of the 2020 aggression, Shushi and several districts of Artsakh were lost. Several thousand soldiers perished, over 10,000 sons of the Armenian people became disabled, and thousands of Artsakh residents lost their homes.

It is worth noting that the Armenian government did not support the initiative to declare September 27 as Remembrance Day for those who died in the war. They cited the existing Army Day, January 28, as a justification for this, as it encompasses the meaning of remembrance for the fallen. Later, on January 20, 2026, then-Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Ruben Rubinyan announced on his Facebook page that the National Assembly of Armenia had approved a bill to establish January 27 as Remembrance and Sorrow Day for those who died for the Motherland. He also noted that, at their request, Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan would sign the law as soon as possible so that it would come into force in 2026, which is why January 27 of this year has already been declared a non-working day.

Opposition political forces and experts then expressed bewilderment at the date chosen by the Armenian authorities to commemorate the sons of the Armenian people who laid down their lives for the homeland. The opposition never received a clear explanation from the authorities regarding the chosen date. Specifically, why did the Armenian authorities choose January 27—International Holocaust Remembrance Day—to commemorate those who died for the homeland?