Thomas Goltz, a well-known Author and American military journalist who wrote the book Azerbaijan Diary, has passed away at the age of 68. Dr Thomas was a kind person, a fervent supporter of Southern Caucasians, and an outstanding thinker. His writings set the bar for social and human studies of Azerbaijan. The journalism community has suffered a major loss, and everyone will greatly miss him. Keep reading to know more about Dr Thomas Goltz and his cause of death in detail.
Who was Dr Thomas Goltz?
American novelist and journalist Thomas Goltz is well known for his reports of the fighting that erupted in the 1990s Caucasus area.
Goltz was born in Japan, raised in North Dakota, and earned an MA in Middle Eastern studies from New York University. For the past 30 years, he has operated in and around Turkey and the former Soviet Union’s Caucasus area.
Azerbaijan and Armenia’s battle over Karabakh, Abkhazia’s war of secession from Georgia, and the separatist strife in Chechnya during that time have made him mostly renowned as a crisis journalist.
His Rights and Wrongs program documentary for Global Vision was a 1996 Rory Peck Award finalist for outstanding television journalism.
Goltz, who was fluent in German, Turkish, Arabic, Azerbaijani, and Russian, spent around half of the year working abroad and the other half in Montana, where he also held a part-time teaching position at both Montana State University in Bozeman and the University of Montana in Missoula.
His Books
In his Azerbaijan Diary, Heydar Aliyev chronicles the history of Azerbaijan from the time it broke apart from the Soviet Union through the Karabakh War and Heydar Aliyev’s ascent to the position of president.
Assassinating Shakespeare: The True Confessions of a Bard in the Bush, Goltz’s most recent book, is a memoir of his early travels in Africa acting in Shakespeare plays. He is also the author of Georgia Diary, Chechnya Diary, and other books. Chechnya Diary tells the narrative of the 1995 Samashki massacre.
His two most recent books, “Turkiye” and “Oil Odyssey,” were released in 2021; the first is a collection of essays and analysis from his many years of relationship with that nation, and the latter is a hilarious account of his epically planned, disastrously organized, and woefully executed motorcycle-political stunt in 2000 to transport the symbolic “first barrel of oil” from Baku (Azerbaijan), on the Western shore of the Caspian Sea, to Ceyhan in the Eastern.
In March 2009, the Assembly of Azerbaijani-Canadian Organizations sponsored a seminar at which Goltz was said to have made racist remarks.
The Armenian National Committee of Canada accused Goltz of this. Goltz, according to the Armenian National Committee, referred to the Armenian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh as “garlic-growing Armenians” and only mentioned a few instances of Armenians purging Azerbaijanis while omitting other instances of Azerbaijanis purging Armenians. The Committee also condemned Goltz for allegedly praising Heydar Aliyev, the late president of Azerbaijan.
How did Dr Thomas Goltz die?
Thomas Goltz, a well-known American author and journalist, passed away on July 29, 2023, at the age of 68.
The information was verified by ADA University and posted to Facebook.
It read,
“We are deeply saddened by the profound loss of Dr. Thomas Goltz, our honorary doctor, the famous American analyst and author of “Azerbaijan Diary”.
Dr. Goltz was awarded the “Honorary Doctor” degree by ADA University in 2020 in recognition of his research and outstanding publications on Azerbaijan and the wider Caspian region, as well as his remarkable contributions to strengthening mutual understanding between the nations of Azerbaijan and the United States.
Our thoughts are with Thomas Goltz’s family and his loved ones.”
In 2020, ADA University conferred the title of “Honorary Doctor” on Dr Goltz in honour of his groundbreaking studies and publications on Azerbaijan and the greater Caspian region, as well as his outstanding contributions to fostering understanding between Azerbaijan and the United States.
Dr Thomas Goltz cause of death
We are deeply sorry for the loss of Dr Thomas Goltz, an American journalist and author who was one of the top Caucasus specialists in the world.
He frequently covered the horrific atrocities done by Armenia against Azerbaijani civilians in the early, difficult years of independence, especially the Khojaly Genocide, for Western media. Additionally, he demonstrated political and media bias against Azerbaijan.
Many people must be curious to know the Dr Thomas Goltz cause of death in light of the recent news. For an extended period, Thomas Goltz had received diagnoses for intestinal diseases, cancer, and neuropathy. But Dr Thomas Goltz’s exact cause of death hasn’t been made public yet. As soon as new details become available, we’ll update this article.
Our staff does not confirm any rumors regarding the news, but you can be sure that we are doing everything in our power to gather relevant information about the tragedy and present the most recent updates as quickly as possible; nevertheless, remember that family privacy should be respected.
Tributes to Dr Thomas Goltz
Everyone, including friends and family, is currently exhausted from grieving for Dr Thomas Goltz, thinking about him, praying for his afterlife, and posting condolences on social media.
Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Germany, Nasimi Aghayev tweeted: “Deeply saddened by the passing of my friend Dr. Thomas Goltz, an American journalist & author, one of the world’s best Caucasus experts. In the most difficult early years of our independence, he often reported for Western media about the atrocious crimes committed by Armenia against Azerbaijani civilians, including the #KhojalyGenocide. He also exposed the anti-Azerbaijani bias among media & politicians. In 1994, 8 Azerbaijani prisoners of war were brutally executed in Armenia. Thomas wrote an article about it for Washington Post and asked @HelsinkiComm of U.S. Congress about this crime, the response was quite telling: “Making a fuss about dead Azeris is not right for the politics of this town.” I am glad that despite his advancing illness Thomas had a chance to see the liberated Shusha last May. It was his biggest dream come true. Rest in Peace, my dear Friend! You will never be forgotten!”
Tural Abbosav tweeted: “It was a great honor to meet Dr. Thomas Goltz and make great memories with him. He signed famous “Azerbaijan Diary” book for me last time. While flying from Baku, his last words at airport were: I will come next time, we will meet again. Rest in peace!”
Obituary
We lament the passing of a great American journalist and author today, but we also value all Dr Thomas Goltz gave us during his life, including priceless memories and motivational tales that will endure long after he is gone. Our sympathies are with his family at this difficult moment, and we hope that knowing how many lives their son and brother touched over the previous few years would provide them with some solace. Dr Thomas Goltz, may you rest in peace. You will be sadly lost, but never forgotten. Your service to the nation will always be cherished.
Visit our website frequently to read more articles of similar type, and don’t forget to leave comments for Dr Thomas Goltz’s cherished family as they go through this difficult period.
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Rohini (Editor) is a content writer with 3 years of experience in content writing. She joined Medico Topics on the Breaking News trainee scheme in 2022 and now works on MedicoTopics.com. She possesses a keen interest in political and entertainment matters, including the latest and most widely circulating celebrity rumors, and comprehensive resources on the wealth of renowned actors, athletes, players, and politicians around the globe.
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