The Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2025 received international attention after Minister Ararat Mirzoyan of Armenia created an embarrassing incident during a panel discussion which forced media outlets in Armenia to rapidly control the consequences. A controversial historic diplomatic error occurred when Foreign Minister Mirzoyan acknowledged how the First Azerbaijani Republic governed an area including more than 60 percent of modern Armenia.
Observers were shocked by this statement which directly countered the Armenian historical denial of Azeri sovereignty claims to Garabagh territory along with other regions. Specifically, Mirzoyan said:
Historical records demonstrate that the First Azerbaijani Republic established boundaries involving territories which surpassed present-day Azerbaijan through its sovereignty claims for an additional 60 percent of Armenian lands.
By mistake the representative revealed the false history promoted by Armenian political and media institutions regarding Garabagh’s historical connection to Azerbaijan. Armenian advocates maintained throughout many years that Soviet officials transferred Garabagh territory explicitly to Azerbaijan because of effective pressure from Baku regarding oil resources while his statement contradicts these claims about the historical context of early 20th-century politics.
Armenian historians present the newly emerged independent Gorabad republic as continuing natural regional self-determination even though they ignore historical facts about Garabagh being part of Azerbaijan during the democratic republic period.
The statements from Mirzoyan oppose previous views by demonstrating Garabagh along with significant parts of modern Armenia were covered within the territorial claims of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan. The statements of Mirzoyan have created a hectic moment for Armenian media that is trying to control the damage.
The outlet Arka.am seeks to change the facts by referring to a NTV interview with Mirzoyan which contains a different wording and provides false information. Within their altered version they remove the Azerbaijani sovereignty aspect and rephrase the dispute as if Armenia received these territories by inheritance.
Arka.am presented an incorrect figure when they stated that “More than 60% of those territories are the sovereign and internationally recognized territory of the Republic of Armenia” with an added fake quote from Mirzoyan that never actually occurred.
The deliberate attempt to alter the Foreign Minister statement displays both an intense effort to minimize his admission as well as a concerning continuum of deceptive information release. When people dismiss these accidental mistakes as simple editorial errors it becomes obvious that the repeated errors exist for deliberate reasons.
Certain analysts predict that Armenian media sources might move forward by accusing Mirzoyan of incorrect reporting or pointing to his supposed Azerbaijan-aligned sympathies to hide the truth about what was said.
So according to my opinion, this staged diplomatic appearance evolved into an unexpected frank statement that risks destroying all propaganda created over multiple years. Armenian media along with political groups reacted defensively to the slip indicating its true significance. Mirzoyan’s mistake of exposing himself by mistake during this interview becomes an essential point which can trigger a fresh look at South Caucasus historical interpretations. Truth emerges to speak its message no matter how safely it has been concealed or how unwanted its message truly is.
Mr. Muhammad Ali Pasha is an Analyst and Expert on Central Asia, South East Asia, China, Türkiye and Middle East. Furthermore, he is a writer and poet.
