Armenia is facing growing internal tensions as sharp criticism mounts against the church and former power elites. Recent remarks have exposed deep divisions within society, reflecting ongoing efforts to dismantle entrenched networks and confront corruption. These developments also underscore shifting regional dynamics and the emerging prospects for normalization with Azerbaijan and Türkiye amid complex political transformations.
News.az has interviewed Armenian activist Natali Aleksanyan, who spoke candidly about entrenched corruption, the influence of the so-called Karabakh clan, and the need for reform within the Armenian Apostolic Church. Aleksanyan also discussed Armenia’s future relations with Azerbaijan and Türkiye, stressing the importance of reconciliation and regional peace over nationalist divisions.
– How do you comment on the arrests of clergymen of the Armenian Church?
Source: News.Am
– What has been done has been done well. The time has come to cleanse the Armenian Apostolic Church of the mafia. The arrests will continue, and believe me, soon it will be the turn even of those who have declared themselves the supreme head of the Armenian people, for example, Ktrich Nersisyan.
– The former commander of the Karabakh separatist army, Samvel Babayan, is threatening you with physical violence. What can you say about that?
– Samvel Babayan is too insignificant for his threats to stop me. This has been their method for years, but I will not stop. Their time has long passed. If he dares to mention my name again, the public will also learn about the sale of weapons and ammunition carried out by his hands. I am not threatening him; this is a warning.
Russia will also use this and remove him, as was the case with Samvel Karapetyan and Ruben Vardanyan. Samvel Babayan is not stronger than they are.
– Apart from Samvel Babayan, who else is threatening you?
– I am also being threatened by associates of Samvel Karapetyan, and they are doing it openly in public. But I repeat - I will not stop.
– How do you assess the words of Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in an interview with Deutsche Welle that Armenia hopes for tangible progress in establishing diplomatic relations with Türkiye, as well as opening the Armenian–Turkish border in the coming weeks and months?
Source: TASS
– I have great respect for Ararat Mirzoyan. He knows how to conduct the right negotiations, and I am almost certain that soon not only the Armenian–Turkish but also the Armenian–Azerbaijani border will open. All steps are moving toward that.
– You have been living in Istanbul for some time. In your view, how does Turkish society relate to Armenia and Armenians?
– Turkish society respects Armenians, and I have never heard bad words from them. I will always tell the truth. There are Armenians who live and work here who, abandoning their livelihoods, go to take part in opposition actions in Armenia. Some say, “A Turk is my enemy,” and I argue with them.
Let us not forget that today Türkiye is home to the largest Armenian community with its own churches and schools. And finally, I thank Ilham Aliyev for preserving the Armenian church in Baku. I am ashamed to remember how your cultural and religious sites were treated in Karabakh. Everyone will be held accountable.
– For several months now there has been a trial in Baku of Armenian citizens accused of crimes against the statehood of Azerbaijan. What can you say about this?
– I will do everything to ensure that not a single representative of the Karabakh clan leaves the prison in Baku. Robert Kocharyan, Serzh Sargsyan, Samvel Babayan and others should be added to that list, and this is not only my wish, it is the desire of the overwhelming majority of my people.
By Asif Aydinli
