Turkish building company reports abuse in Karabakh

PanARMENIAN.Net - Tolga Şahin, head of the Turkish construction firm Arenol Group, which had been involved in large-scale building projects in Karabakh under Azerbaijani control, has appealed to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, alleging severe mistreatment and asset confiscation by Azerbaijani authorities.

In a video published by Azerbaijani media and cited by Factor.am , Şahin says: "We were treated worse than Armenians." His statement is part of a formal appeal addressed to Erdoğan.

"Dear President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, after the victory in Karabakh, we were one of the Turkish companies invited to help with reconstruction. In Lachin and Kelbajar, we implemented 44 projects, including schools, factories, hotels, and military dormitories. President Ilham Aliyev and Mehriban Aliyeva personally attended the inauguration of our constructions," Şahin states.

He further claims that all company assets were seized and re-registered under Leyla Aliyeva’s name.

"We informed Turkish Ambassador Cahit Bağcı, who replied, ‘They will ruin my reputation, calm down.’ Mr. President, they raided our home pretending to be fake police officers. Weapons were allegedly found in the Turkish businessman’s house. We were treated worse than Armenians. We are asking for your help," Şahin pleads in the appeal.

According to Şahin, Arenol repeatedly alerted Turkish officials to the situation but received no meaningful response.

Azerbaijan launched a large-scale attack on Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19, 2023, subjecting the region to heavy shelling. On September 20, the Artsakh authorities accepted a ceasefire proposal from Russian peacekeepers and agreed to Baku’s terms, including the disarmament of local forces and the dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh. Forced displacement of over 100,000 ethnic Armenians followed. According to reports, only around 20 Armenians remain in the region. Though a decree to dissolve Artsakh by January 1, 2024, was initially signed, a subsequent decree on October 19 annulled the announcement.