US historian: Even explanation of Khojaly tragedy to people is terrible

Dr. Michael M. Gunter, a professor of political science at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, Tennessee, made a speech at the "Armenia and Azerbaijan through Peace and War" reception at Columbia University, Report informs.

Speaking at the event, which began with a minute's silence in memory of the victims of the tragedy, Gunter said that the Khojaly massacre was not well known in the United States: "Few people in the United States have heard about the Khojaly incident, where more than 600 innocent citizens were killed. Even when we try to explain it to people, we get into difficulty, it is a terrible carnage."

He emphasized that the conflicts between Azerbaijan and Armenia at the end of the USSR were little known and understood: "We need to know this problem between the two countries more objectively since it is really a seed for comprehending not only their counterparts in the world but also the situation in today's Ukraine, which arose after the former Soviet Union."

In his speech, Ali Asgarov, a teacher at the University of North Carolina, drew attention to the Khojaly massacre's place in Azerbaijani history and its meaning for the people.

Turkish Consul General in New York, Reyhan Ozgur, diplomats of Azerbaijan's Permanent Mission to the UN, students, and representatives of the Turkish and Azerbaijani communities also participated in the event.