Battle of Sadarak

Battles of Sadarak - a military conflict between the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan and Armenia that took place in the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan in 1990-1993 .

Battle of Sadarak
Part of First Nagorno-Karabakh War
Date January 15, 1990 – 1993 Location Kirki , Saderak district , Azerbaijan Result Armenian Armed Forces occupying Karki village of Saderak district , not being able to enter Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
Belligerents
Nagorno-Karabakh	Azerbaijan
Commanders and leaders
unknown	Abulfaz Elchibey Heydar Aliyev
Casualties and losses
unknown	108

Background

The land claims of Armenians to Sadare, Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan in general do not start from the 1990s. In 1918–1920, the " Red Tabor " organized under the leadership of Abbasgulu bey Shadlinski played a great role in the struggle of the people of Sadarak against the Armenians. The main headquarters of "Kırmızı Tabor", which has forty people, was located in Sadarak for some time.

Despite the Moscow and Kars agreements signed on October 13, 1921, without any valid reason, the conditions of both agreements were grossly violated and those agreements were illegally transferred to Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, by the decision of the Presidium of the Transcaucasian SFSR MIK dated February 18, 1929. A land area of ​​657 square kilometers from the territory of the USSR was given to the Armenian SSR.  As a result, the Azerbaijani population left those territories from time to time, and these lands were falsely turned into the territory of Armenia. By the decision of the Central Executive Committee of Azerbaijan dated May 5, 1938, a large part of the land around the village of Karki of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic was given to Armenia.

In 1988, since the USSR did not take necessary measures against Armenian separatism in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenians began to attack Nakhchivan as well. The first target was the Kerki enclave, located 10 km from Saderak and bordering Armenia on all sides . At the end of December 1989, the situation becomes more tense. Although posts were established in three places of the village and 15 people were volunteers at each post, and help came from other regions of the autonomous republic, this was not enough to protect the settlement from the enemy. Because the volunteers protecting the village, which was surrounded by the enemy on all four sides, had few weapons. The volunteers are then told that the village will be guarded by Soviet soldiers. After the volunteers handed over the village to the Soviet soldiers, they in turn handed over the village to the Armenians.

Battle

Since the Armenians cut off the highway from Saderak to Kirki, every evening 30-40 volunteer defenders went from Saderak to Kirki by truck and sometimes on foot along the Karaagac-Jahannamdara road. On January 15, 1990, there was a fierce fire from around 4:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Although up to 30 residents of Karki fought against more than 2 thousand armed Armenians together with 3 employees of the Sharur district Police Department,  despite all the efforts of the defenders of Karki, who fought with Armenians armed with modern weapons, thanks to the 7th army of the USSR Ministry of Defense, the village of Karki in Sharur district was occupied. By occupying the village of Kirki, the Armenian Armed Forces were able to advance their military forces from the north-eastern direction of Sadarey towards Sadarey, and surrounded Sadarey from the directions of Ajdaha, Jintandiri, Beshbarmag, Ujubiz and Mil.

On December 14, 1989, the villages of Saderak, Gunnut and Havush were heavily shelled, and on January 19, 1990, they were subjected to more intense attacks from around 11 am. At that time, Armenians fired almost all the border villages of the autonomous republic, but directed their main forces in the direction of Saderak. Sadarak was heavily shelled on January 19.

In Nakhchivan , a serious wave of protests against the Soviet Army's support for Armenian military units and the USSR's leadership turning a blind eye to aggressive actions has begun. On January 19, 1990, another event took place that surprised not only the Soviet leadership, but the whole world. The Nakhchivan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic has declared itself an independent republic, stating that it has left the USSR . The decision of the Supreme Soviet of the Nakhchivan MSSR stated that this decision was taken because the territorial integrity of the autonomous republic and the lives of its citizens were in danger, and the conditions of the Kars Treaty, which had international legal force, were grossly violated. In the decision, the fact that the then communist leadership of Azerbaijan was indifferent to the Armenian aggression against Nakhchivan was cited as the reason for this.

During his speech at the meeting of the Constitutional Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan on January 14, 1998, Heydar Aliyev commented on the constitutional status of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and said:

On January 19, 1990, the decision of the Supreme Soviet of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on the withdrawal of Nakhchivan from the Soviet Union, I believe, was of historical importance. It is true that the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan canceled this decision on January 29. But this is an event left in history. The people of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and the people represented in the Supreme Soviet have expressed their will. Why? - Because of the injustice against Azerbaijan

Heydar Aliyev, who visited Nakhchivan on July 22, 1990, arrived in Sadarak village on July 28.

In order to strengthen the defense of Sadarak, the Sadarak district was established on August 29, 1990, by the decision of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR . Until then, Sadarak was part of Sharur district.

On May 18, 1992, the Armed Forces of Armenia attacked from three directions - Ajdaha mountain, Beshbarmag-Ujubiz and Mil mountain- Garaburun directions and wanted to occupy Sadarak district. As a result of heavy offensive operations of Armenia, 38 people were martyred by Azerbaijan. It is impossible to find the remains of 17 people who died in Mil. As a result of Heydar Aliyev's efforts, 10 days later they were taken from the trench where they fought and buried. Heydar Aliyev gives serious orders to send seriously injured people to Turkey .

Sadarak was heavily attacked by Armenians 14 times in 1990–1993. About 300 artillery shells were fired into Sadara, about 500 houses, schools, public-administrative buildings, and social facilities were destroyed.

In the 1970s, a settlement of 71 families was built in the territory of Sadarak district on the initiative of Heydar Aliyev, but it was renovated as a result of the Armenian attack. On the initiative of the residents, the settlement was named Heydarabad in honor of its creator and founder Heydar Aliyev .

The war of 1990-1993 went down in history as the Sadarak battles. Saderakin Karki village, which has a 12–14 km long battle zone, is the only village of Nakhchivan occupied by Armenians.