Former Turkish FM attends intl conference in Azerbaijan on rights of displaced people PHOTO

On December 4, Former Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu visited Azerbaijan to attend the international conference "The Right of Return: Ensuring Justice for Azerbaijanis Forcibly Displaced from Armenia."

During his visit, he also toured the Western Azerbaijan Community (WAC), Caliber.Az reports via local media.

At the meeting, Aziz Alakbarli, Chairman of the Board of the Western Azerbaijan Community and a member of parliament, reminded attendees of the political and moral support Türkiye had extended to Azerbaijan during the Patriotic War.

He highlighted the establishment and ongoing activities of the community, noting that its members had lived in the territory of present-day Armenia until the period of 1987-1991. Alakbarli stressed that the community's primary goal is to raise international awareness regarding the restoration of rights for Azerbaijanis who were forcibly displaced over the past 200 years from their ancestral lands, and to secure their right to return.

Alakbarli also pointed out that during the final wave of deportations, approximately 300,000 Azerbaijanis were forced to leave their homeland, with around 172 villages that had been exclusively inhabited by Azerbaijanis, and no Armenians residing there.

He emphasized that the peaceful, safe, and dignified return of these displaced individuals to their homeland is a fundamental right that must be ensured. 

Alakbarli further affirmed that the Republic of Armenia holds responsibility for creating the necessary conditions for their return.

"There is no basis for Armenia to present the desire of Azerbaijanis to return to their historical lands as a territorial claim," he said.

Çavuşoğlu, reflecting on his visit, reiterated Türkiye’s unwavering support for Azerbaijan. He spoke about the developments in the territories liberated after the Second Karabakh War under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev and praised Türkiye's full support for Azerbaijan in this regard.

He highlighted that displaced people have already started returning to their ancestral lands and commended Azerbaijan's peaceful policies, stating,

"Azerbaijan is carrying out its activities regarding the return of refugees in accordance with international law."

Discussing Azerbaijan's initiatives for peace following its victory in Karabakh, Çavuşoğlu remarked, "The whole world is a witness to Azerbaijan's sincere attitude towards Armenia. However, Armenia destroyed all material and cultural heritage on Azerbaijani lands it once occupied."

He concluded by reaffirming Türkiye's position: "Our Azerbaijani brothers must return to their historical lands. It is also important to increase global attention to this issue."

Ramil Hasan, Deputy Chairman of the WAC and a member of parliament, stated that Çavuşoğlu’s visit provided significant moral support to the people of Western Azerbaijan. Hasan emphasized,

"The people forcibly displaced from Armenia wish to return to their ancestral lands and live there, just as they have for thousands of years. Had the Azerbaijanis of Western Azerbaijan not been expelled from their homes, they would still be living and working on their ancestral land today."

Gaya Mammadov, a member of the WAC and parliament, underscored that the issue of Western Azerbaijanis is fundamentally a matter of human rights. He revealed that the WAC had previously sent letters and appeals to Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and key international actors, urging a peaceful, safe, and dignified return for their compatriots.

However, Mammadov expressed regret that Armenia had yet to respond to the community’s request for dialogue. He also condemned Armenia's racist policies, declaring, "The policy of Armenia is unacceptable."

By Aghakazim Guliyev