The Western Azerbaijan Community has inaugurated its first international office in Izmir, Türkiye, Report informs.
The event, held with the participation of Turkish state officials, local administration, intellectuals, and members of the Azerbaijani diaspora, included a tribute to the memory of Azerbaijan's National Leader Heydar Aliyev.
Asif Gurban, the Western Azerbaijan Community’s representative in Türkiye, emphasized the office's role in supporting the estimated 1.5 million individuals of West Azerbaijani descent residing in Türkiye. The office aims to promote their right to return to their historical homeland with dignity and to foster greater awareness of Western Azerbaijan’s history, culture, and prominent figures.
Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Turkiye, Rashad Mammadov, highlighted during the event the demographic change policies implemented by Tsarist Russia against Azerbaijan in the 19th century. He noted that these policies were later followed by Armenia's deliberate actions in the 20th century, which resulted in the forced displacement of Azerbaijanis from their ancestral lands in Western Azerbaijan.
The office also seeks to engage with international organizations to restore the rights and freedoms of over 300,000 Azerbaijanis who faced systematic deportation from Western Azerbaijan, further strengthening advocacy for justice and recognition of their historical struggles.