Erdoğan: Türkiye and Azerbaijan stand together in sorrow and joy Photo

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has paid tribute to the victims of the Khojaly massacre on the 33rd anniversary of the tragedy.

In a post on X page, Erdoğan stressed that the pain of the Khojaly tragedy would never be forgotten, Caliber.Az reports.

Acısını hiçbir zaman unutmayacağımız, hüznünü hep içimizde taşıyacağımız Hocalı Katliamı’nın 33’üncü yıl dönümünde, katledilen Azerbaycanlı kardeşlerimizi rahmetle yâd ediyorum.

İyi ve kötü günde yekvücut olduğumuz kardeş Azerbaycan halkına taziyelerimi iletiyorum. pic.twitter.com/vpWyfRseLq

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) February 26, 2025

"I respectfully commemorate our Azerbaijani brothers and sisters who were killed on the 33rd anniversary of the events. I extend my condolences to the brotherly people of Azerbaijan. We stand together in both sorrow and joy," he wrote.

To recall, Azerbaijan is commemorating the 33rd anniversary of the Khojaly Massacre, one of the country's darkest tragedies, with solemn ceremonies both at home and abroad. On the night of 25-26 February 1992, Armenian forces, with the backing of the 366th Motorised Rifle Regiment, launched a devastating assault on the city of Khojaly.

The city had already suffered months of blockade, leaving residents without food, electricity, or access to roads. Despite their resilience, they were overwhelmed by the attack.

The massacre claimed 613 lives, including 63 children, 106 women, and 70 elderly people. Eight families were completely annihilated, while hundreds were wounded, over 1,200 taken hostage, and 150 remain missing.

In 1994, Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis (parliament) designated 26 February as Khojaly Genocide Remembrance Day, reaffirmed by further resolutions in subsequent years. The event is officially recognised as an act of genocide, serving as a stark reminder of the atrocities of that night and the need to prevent such tragedies in the future.

By Aghakazim Guliyev