Western Azerbaijanis demand Armenia to apologize for deportation, create conditions for return

The Western Azerbaijan Community has made a strong demand for the Armenian government to apologize for the deportation of Western Azerbaijanis and create conditions for their return.

In a statement released by the community, it said: "We demand from the Armenian government to apologize for the deportation of Western Azerbaijanis, to start a dialogue with the Western Azerbaijan Community, to create conditions for our return, to stop arming and to open communications in line with the commitments made," Caliber.Az reports.

The community also expressed gratitude to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for his support in securing the peaceful, safe, and dignified return of Western Azerbaijanis to their homeland, 

To recall, the president had previously highlighted this issue in an interview with local television channels yesterday, on January 7.

"We also fully support President Ilham Aliyev's position on regional peace and security," the statement read.

The community also expressed deep concern about the dominant political ideologies in Armenia, which it deems harmful to both human rights and peace. "The ideology of racial discrimination and radical nationalism dominating Armenia's political circles is the greatest threat to human rights and peace."

The statement pointed to historical remarks made by Armenian leaders as evidence of the discriminatory nature of the country's political elite. "The recently circulated video recording of the speech by Armenia's first president, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, from 1993, in which he presented the 'complete cleansing of Armenia and Karabakh from other nations' as a historical achievement, the racist statement by Armenia's second president, Robert Kocharian, on an international platform claiming that 'Azerbaijanis and Armenians are ethnically incompatible,' the position of Armenia's third president, Serzh Sargsyan, and his party, inspired by the ideology of fascist Garegin Njdeh's Tsekhakronism, all reflect the essence of this state."

The community also echoed President Aliyev's concerns regarding Armenia's increasing military power. "We fully share President Ilham Aliyev's concern regarding Armenia's massive rearmament. This country, with a history of aggression, where racism and revanchism still prevail, is unable to responsibly approach military power, making its rearmament unacceptable."

The statement concluded with a strong rejection of Armenia's stance on historical injustices against Western Azerbaijanis. "Armenia's policy of completely denying the historical injustice committed against Western Azerbaijanis has no future."

By Khagan Isayev