WAC: Armenia's denial of Western Azerbaijanis' right of return shows it is not committed to peace

The Western Azerbaijan Community (WAC) strongly condemns the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia on June 23 regarding the decisions taken by the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on the issue of Western Azerbaijan on June 21-22, 2025 in Istanbul, reads the statement of the Community, Report informs.

It is noted that the Armenian Foreign Ministry in its aforementioned statement claims that the Azerbaijanis voluntarily left Armenia, that they were compensated, and that the cultural heritage of Azerbaijan in this country is protected. The Western Azerbaijan Community, which unites the Azerbaijanis forcibly expelled from Armenia, states that such claims by the Armenian government are an absolute lie. The fact of the forcible expulsion of Azerbaijanis from Armenia with the direct participation of the state bodies of this country is well known. The last wave of deportations, during which the vast majority - about 300,000 people - were forced to leave their homes and flee to Azerbaijan in just one week in late November-early December 1988, as well as the murder of 216 Azerbaijanis during this period, are direct evidence that we are talking about forced deportation.

"The fact that former Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosyan called the expulsion of Azerbaijanis from Armenia a "historic achievement" indicates that this tragedy was a consequence of a deliberate state policy of Armenia. As for the claim about the alleged payment of "compensations" in exchange for the renunciation of the right of return, this lie was first voiced at the level of the prime minister of Armenia in August 2023, and so far the Armenian side has not presented a single piece of evidence to support it.

As for the Muslim heritage in Armenia, out of 269 mosques officially registered in the country, 268 were destroyed, and more than 600 cemeteries were wiped off the face of the earth. The Armenian government's denial of our right to return, its avoidance of dialogue and its reliance on lies indicate that this country has no intention of following the path of peace and reconciliation. The refusal of the current Armenian government to recognize the right of return of Western Azerbaijanis means the continuation of the policy of the previous authorities," reads the statement.

The Western Azerbaijan Community reiterates that it will continue its efforts to restore justice, return Western Azerbaijanis forcibly expelled from their ancestral lands to their homes, restore the destroyed cultural heritage and bring to justice those who committed crimes against humanity.

The Western Azerbaijan Community calls on the international community to put pressure on the Armenian government to abandon its destructive policies and calls on all states and international organizations to condemn the statement of the Armenian Foreign Ministry of June 23, 2025, as evidence of the country's policy of racial discrimination.