Aşağı Əskipara (Armenian: Ներքին Ոսկեպար, romanized: Nerkin Voskepar, lit. 'Lower Voskepar') is an abandoned village[1] in the Qazakh District of Azerbaijan.
Aşağı Əskipara | |
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  Aşağı Əskipara | |
| Coordinates: 41°04′32″N 45°04′58″E / 41.07556°N 45.08278°E | |
| Country |  Azerbaijan |
| District | Qazakh |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 0 |
| • Density | 0/km2 (0/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (AZT) |
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The village was controlled by Armenia from the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in the early 1990s until 2024, when Armenia agreed to return the village to Azerbaijan. The neighboring settlement of Voskepar is located in Armenia proper. Another nearby village, Yuxarı Əskipara, is located in what is de jure an Azerbaijani exclave within Armenia, but is still controlled by Armenia.
History
editIn the morning of 19 August 1990, Armenian militants reportedly attacked a bus near the village, resulting in the death of one policeman and the injury of two civilians. The Armenians reportedly shelled the village with artillery later in the day.[2]
According to the Azerbaijani defense ministry, an Armenian "sabotage group" attacked Azerbaijani positions in the area on 5 June 2012, resulting in the death of four Azerbaijani troops.[3]
In March 2024, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he was willing to unilaterally return Lower Askipara and the three other Armenian-controlled non-enclaves (Bağanis Ayrum, Qızılhacılı, and Xeyrimli).[4] On April 19 2024, Armenia agreed to hand over the villages to Azerbaijan,[5] which happened on May 24, 2024.[6]
Demographics
editAccording to the 1915 publication of the Caucasian Calendar, the village (Аксибара татар, Aksibara tatar) had a predominantly Tatar (later known as Azerbaijani) population of 933 in 1914.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Armenia's PM says he must return disputed areas to Azerbaijan or face war". Yahoo News. 2024-03-19. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "АРМЕНИЯ - АЗЕРБАЙДЖАН: ЭТО УЖЕ ПРОСТО ВОЙНА". www.kommersant.ru (in Russian). 1990-08-20. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
- ^ "Armenian forces kill five Azerbaijani troops on border". BBC News. 2012-06-05. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ "Armenian PM signals willingness to make territorial concessions to facilitate border deal". Eurasianet. 2024-03-18.
- ^ Bagirova, Nailia (2024-04-19). "Foes Azerbaijan and Armenia agree 'historic' return of villages". Reuters.
- ^ Service, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani. "Azerbaijan Regains Control Over 4 Villages Near Armenian Border". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
- ^ Кавказский календарь на 1915 год [Caucasian calendar for 1915] (in Russian) (70th ed.). Tiflis: Tipografiya kantselyarii Ye.I.V. na Kavkaze, kazenny dom. 1915. p. 122. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021.
External links
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