We Did Not Expel Armenians from Karabakh; It Was Their Own Decision, Says Azerbaijani Presidential Assistant

Currently, more than 50,000 Azerbaijanis live in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, receiving education and engaging in employment. We have always wanted to return to our homes. This was stated by Hikmet Hajiyev, the assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, in an interview with the German publication Berliner Zeitung.

The presidential assistant specifically emphasized that the decision for Armenians to leave Azerbaijani territory was made independently by them. “We did not expel Armenians from Karabakh. They decided to leave on their own. Second, Azerbaijan has prepared a fairly comprehensive reintegration program, but the Armenians have rejected it. What does this program entail? Acceptance of Azerbaijani citizenship, living with Azerbaijani citizens on the basis of loyalty to the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This is absolutely normal for any state. Azerbaijan will never be able to reconcile with the zigzag changes of its territories. This issue is closed. For those who wish to live as Azerbaijani citizens, there are appropriate procedures,” he stated.

The presidential assistant noted that he disagrees with the characterization of the departure of Karabakh Armenians as “ethnic cleansing.” “The fact that the Karabakh Armenians voluntarily left this territory cannot be termed ethnic cleansing. However, if we talk about the right of return, we must also address the issue of Azerbaijanis who lived in Armenia for decades and were forcibly expelled from there. The right of return is one of the topics that has been widely discussed, for example, in Germany after the Second World War. This is one of the human rights, and it should also be applied to the 250,000 Azerbaijanis who were expelled from Armenia. Of course, they also have the right to return, but Yerevan refuses to talk about it,” added the Azerbaijani presidential assistant.