Azerbaijan condemns New York Mayor Mamdani’s remarks as misleading

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has strongly criticised a recent statement by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani concerning what it described as the so-called “Armenian genocide” narrative.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada addressed the issue on the social media platform X, saying that public officials should act responsibly and avoid spreading misinformation that could deepen divisions.

“Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, public figures should act responsibly, refrain from spreading misinformation, and contribute to reconciliation rather than deepening division through politically motivated and historically false statements.

We reject your inflammatory statement. Such remarks demonstrate a lack of understanding of history and realities of the region, and distort facts for political narratives.

In 2020 Azerbaijan acted within its internationally recognized sovereign territory, in line with international law and UN Security Council resolutions.

The counter-terror measures of 2023 resulted in restoration of Azerbaijan’s constitutional order following three decades of illegal occupation. Claims of 'expulsion' ignore the fact that Armenian residents were offered reintegration, full equal rights, and security guarantees.

It is particularly troubling that an elected official promotes one-sided narratives while ignoring ethnic cleansing and massacres against hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis during the occupation period, as well as destruction of cultural and religious heritage.

Such reckless statements are unacceptable and should be removed without delay,” Hajizada wrote. 

The statement came in response to Zohran Mamdani marking the 111th anniversary of the events he described as the “Armenian Genocide” in a post on X. In his remarks, Mamdani echoed narratives commonly advanced by the Armenian diaspora regarding the 1915 events and linked them to more recent developments in the South Caucasus, including allegations about the 2020 war and the situation in Karabakh in 2023.