A Turkish politician facing an international probe over a recent visit to Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) has shared his impressions of the country upon the Azerbaijani authorities’ demand.
Ufuk Uras, who was among the four intellectuals on the international wanted list, said his interest was high in seeing the unrecognized state which he had only heard about before. “When, in the course of our visit to Armenia, we were asked whether we wanted to see Artsakh, I was very enthusiastic. [I wondered] what that ‘closed box’ really contained,” he said.
Uras also spoke about the airport in the country’s capital, Stepanakert (which never served flights after repairs because of Azerbaijani threats), as well as the church of Dadivank which served as a stable in the period of the 1990s’ liberation battle.
He said they were very impressed by the local residents’ positive reaction to seeing tourists from Turkey.
“We do not want to leave the problems we are facing today as a legacy to our future generations. As you walk about the State Museum of Fine Arts in Shushi, you feel kind of astonished to see a different kind of world, which we never really see in life. The important thing is not to let that world stay within the walls of just museums,” he added.