Azerbaijani MFA rebukes Armenian FM: History lesson on Western Azerbaijan

Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Aykhan Hajizada, addressed remarks made by Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan during a press conference on January 8, 2025. 

Hajizada firmly rejected Mirzoyan’s statements regarding the “Western Azerbaijan Community” and the deportation of Azerbaijanis from present-day Armenia, labelling them as a distortion of history, Caliber.Az reports.

“The claims made by the Armenian Foreign Minister regarding the ‘Western Azerbaijan Community’ and the deportation of Azerbaijanis from the territory of present-day Armenia are a falsification of history by Armenia,” Hajizada asserted.

He highlighted the historical suppression of Azerbaijanis and the extensive relocation of Armenians to the South Caucasus over the past two centuries. “The suppression of Azerbaijanis in their historical lands, along with the massive relocation of Armenians to the South Caucasus during the last two hundred years, is a historical fact. As a result of this step-by-step plan, Azerbaijanis were expelled from the territory now called Armenia — native historical lands where they lived for thousands of years. They were subjected to mass murders and massacres, thousands of historical and cultural monuments and settlements belonging to Azerbaijanis were destroyed, and more than 2,000 toponyms were altered.”

Hajizada provided specific historical examples, emphasizing that “only during the years 1948–1953, about 150,000 Azerbaijanis were forcibly and massively deported from their historical lands in the territory of present-day Armenia. Furthermore, in 1987–1991, another deportation of Azerbaijanis from their historical and ethnic lands took place, as a result of which more than 250,000 Azerbaijanis were expelled from Armenia. There are historical and legal documents proving all these actions.”

Hajizada also dismissed Mirzoyan’s claims that compensation was paid to Azerbaijanis during the last deportation and that they left voluntarily. He pointed out that “216 Azerbaijanis were killed as part of the ethnic cleansing policy in 1987–1991 alone, proving how painfully and bloody the ethnic cleansing policy against Azerbaijanis was carried out.”

Addressing the term “Western Azerbaijan Community,” Hajizada rejected the notion that its use constituted a violation of international law or a territorial claim. He argued that Armenian officials’ opposition to the return of Azerbaijanis to their lands revealed their intent to “Armenianize” Azerbaijani territories. “The denial of the right of Azerbaijanis to return to their lands by Armenian officials under various pretexts is a vivid example of their goal of ‘Armenianization’ of Azerbaijani territories and preventing the return of Azerbaijanis in every way.”

Hajizada further criticized Armenia’s approach, citing former Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s views, which he said reflected a “racist-chauvinist national ideology” that justified ethnic cleansing and the occupation of Azerbaijani territories. He added that subsequent Armenian leaders had continued to uphold this ideology.

Moreover, Hajizada called out Armenia’s contradictory stance on international law, stating that even after the 2020 war, Armenia refused to withdraw armed forces from Azerbaijani territories, continued militarization, and obstructed the reintegration process of Armenians.

He concluded by urging Armenia to engage in dialogue with the “Western Azerbaijan Community” and facilitate the peaceful return of forcibly evicted Azerbaijanis. “The practical indicator that Armenia has given up the concept of ‘ethnic incompatibility’ and the ‘title of a monoethnic state based on ethnic cleansing,’ and has chosen peaceful coexistence, can only be through creating conditions for the members of the ‘Western Azerbaijan Community’ to return to their historical lands,” Hajizada stated.

By Tamilla Hasanova