BAKU, October 6. /ТASS/. The atmosphere in the capital of Azerbaijan, where martial law has been imposed, these days is not much different from peacetime. Even though Baku is located about 400 km from the military engagement zone of Nagorno-Karabakh, more and more national flags can be noticed fluttering around the Azerbaijani capital.
They decorate windows and balconies, facades of shops and cafes, they are strung up on car antennas, and are sometimes attached to trunks or automobiles’ rear windows. Often, a Turkish flag is hung next to the Azerbaijani one.
"Turkey has supported us morally and spiritually, so we thank them," a car owner told our TASS correspondent. However, he denies Ankara's direct participation in the Karabakh conflict: "Why do we need such assistance from Turkey? We already have the strongest army in the region."
Otherwise, life in the Azerbaijani capital goes on, but taking into account, of course, the omnipresent coronavirus restrictions. Shops and cafes are open. In the latter, however, the background music is periodically interrupted by news broadcasts and reports from the front. The streets are calm. There are no mass rallies visible in support of the actions in Karabakh or for the success of the Azerbaijani army in Baku.
"When the president announced on Sunday that Jebrail had been taken, people with flags began to take to the streets, despite the curfew. But the police quickly asked everyone to disperse," one resident told TASS.
The curfew is another important feature of Baku life in recent days. From 21:00, it is prohibited to be on the streets without any special permission. Life comes to a grinding halt, all cars vanish from the streets, and one can’t walk by the Maiden Tower late at night.
Yet, even though martial law was introduced just a few days ago, it does not manifest itself in the capital. There are no restrictions on movement around the city, nor have law enforcement measures been stepped up. There are only police squads on alert at the military registration and enlistment offices. Filming here and at hospitals is prohibited. The telephone connection works, there is mobile Internet, although there are some messengers that function with difficulty from time to time.
Azerbaijani forces ready
The lines at the military registration and enlistment offices in Baku have now mostly subsided. Those wishing to join the army still gather at their doors, but in small numbers. "In the early days, there were much more," Belal, a resident of the Azerbaijani capital who came here, told TASS. "But then they said that there isn’t any shortage of people now. They take young people with indispensable skills into the military, those who can handle military equipment."
The residents of Baku are ready not only to go to the front line, but also to help the armed forces in other ways. However, as it turned out in the early days, the army was already provided with everything, and the remaining needs were met in the first days of the conflict. "Now, not even all types of blood are accepted, and they collect money either for cigarettes or for sweets for the soldiers. I myself remember how everyone wanted sweets in the army," one of those who came to recruitment office said.
A long story
Russian journalists are asked what Russians think of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia to whom, in the opinion of Russians, Nagorno-Karabakh belongs. When touching on the subject of Karabakh, the events of the late 1980s-early 1990s are often recollected. It is obvious that their pain has not yet passed, which largely influences the current situation.
According to a TASS interviewee, an opportunity to get back Karabakh brought Azeri society closer together. Even those who previously did not agree with the country’s leader on everything are rallying around the nation’s president. "Now we see why it was done, what he really wanted," he said.
Nevertheless, the Azeri capital’s external calmness is in a sense deceptive. People are waiting for news from Karabakh and assert that they are ready to go there at any moment, calling it their duty.