MP announces opening of Western Azerbaijan Community’s office in Türkiye

Azerbaijani MP, Chairman of the Board of the Western Azerbaijan Community Aziz Alakbarov has said that a representative office of the Western Azerbaijan Community is set to open in Türkiye soon.

He made these remarks following an international conference titled “Return to Western Azerbaijan as an Essential Condition for the Supremacy of Human Rights”, held recently in Türkiye’s capital Ankara, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Alakbarov stated that the new office will play a key role in advocating for the rights of Azerbaijanis displaced from Western Azerbaijan and in raising international awareness of their right to return.

“Since its establishment, the Western Azerbaijan Community has focused on informing the global community about the realities in Western Azerbaijan and the legitimate rights of its former residents,” Alakbarov said. “Türkiye, which has always supported Azerbaijan, is expected to offer its full support in this matter.”

The Azerbaijani MP highlighted that millions of Azerbaijanis were forced to flee from Western Azerbaijan to Türkiye during periods of Armenian control and throughout the Soviet era. 

He noted that efforts to defend their rights are ongoing, and preparations for the new representative office are already in progress. Alakbarov also pointed to the growing academic and civil engagement around the issue. 

“Scientific conferences focusing on Western Azerbaijan have already been held in various Turkish cities. It was only natural to extend these discussions here. Notably, today’s event brought together leading figures from Turkish academia, international law experts, and representatives of non-governmental organisations,” he said. The Western Azerbaijan Community has held two large-scale conferences in Baku, and similar international events are planned for other Turkish provinces. 

“We intend to continue this work across Türkiye, and I am confident that these efforts will significantly contribute to informing the Turkish public,” he added. 

Beyond Türkiye, the Western Azerbaijan Community is working to expand its global reach. Alakbarov revealed that the organisation already operates representative offices in France and the Netherlands, with plans to establish more in the future. Looking ahead, a similar international conference is scheduled to be held in Brussels in October, focusing on the Western Azerbaijani diaspora in Europe.

By Naila Huseynova