Aziz Alakbarli urges foreign parliaments to defend rights of Western Azerbaijanis

Milli Majlis deputy, Chairman of the Western Azerbaijan Community, and head of the Initiative Group for Return to Western Azerbaijan, Aziz Alakbarli, has called on foreign parliaments to stand against the injustices committed against Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia.

According to Report's Turkish bureau, speaking during the panel discussion titled "Parliamentary Diplomacy in Global Governance" at the 4th Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Alakbarli emphasized that the Turkic-Muslim population faced repeated mass deportations throughout the 20th century and noted that there are currently no Azerbaijanis left in Armenia.

"During the last wave of deportations between 1987 and 1991, more than 300,000 Azerbaijani Turks were expelled from their lands. Our historical monuments and ancestral graves were destroyed. This inflicted serious damage on the cultural heritage of all humanity," he stated.

According to Alakbarli, the issue of Western Azerbaijan has gone beyond a regional matter. "We were expelled as a result of an armed conflict. According to Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to return to their country. However, Armenia violates this right. Meanwhile, official Baku acknowledges the right of return for Armenians who previously lived in Azerbaijan and held citizenship," he added.