(MENAFN- AzerNews)
Akbar Novruz
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Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed recent
remarks by Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan as a
deliberate distortion of historical facts,
Azernews reports.
During a press conference on January 8, 2025, Mirzoyan commented
on the Western Azerbaijan Community and the deportation of
Azerbaijanis from present-day Armenia, prompting a sharp response
from Aykhan Hajizada, spokesperson for Azerbaijan's Foreign
Ministry.
“The claims made by the Armenian Foreign Minister...are a
falsification of history by Armenia,” Hajizada said, emphasizing
the systematic oppression and expulsion of Azerbaijanis from their
historical lands over the past two centuries.
He pointed to historical records of mass relocations of
Armenians to the South Caucasus and the expulsion of Azerbaijanis
from what is now Armenia. Hajizada highlighted key periods,
including the forced deportation of 150,000 Azerbaijanis between
1948-1953 and the ethnic cleansing campaign of 1987-1991, which
displaced over 250,000 Azerbaijanis.
He refuted Mirzoyan's claim that compensation had been paid to
those deported, labeling it "completely unfounded" and citing the
deaths of 216 Azerbaijanis during the 1987-1991 deportations as
evidence of the brutal nature of these actions.
Hajizada also criticized the Armenian government's portrayal of
the Western Azerbaijan Community as a "territorial claim" and its
ongoing denial of the rights of displaced Azerbaijanis to return to
their historical lands.
“Armenia's goal of 'Armenianization' of Azerbaijani territories
and preventing the return of Azerbaijanis in every way is a vivid
example of its discriminatory policies,” Hajizada said, pointing to
statements by former Armenian leaders, including Levon
Ter-Petrosyan, that openly justified ethnic cleansing.
He further condemned Armenia's alleged misuse of international
law, highlighting its refusal to withdraw armed forces from
Azerbaijani territories following the 2020 war and continued
militarization in the region.
Hajizada urged Armenia to engage in dialogue with the Western
Azerbaijan Community and facilitate the peaceful, dignified, and
safe return of displaced Azerbaijanis to their lands.“The
practical indicator that Armenia has given up the concept of
'ethnic incompatibility'...can only be through creating conditions
for the members of the Western Azerbaijan Community to return to
their historical lands,” he concluded.
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