Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 12 / Trend , J.Babayeva/
An Azerbaijani member of parliament urged the Turkish parliament to recognize Khojali tragedy as genocide.
"Each year Azerbaijan expects the Turkish parliament to recognize Khojali tragedy as genocide. As a fraternal country, first, Turkey should recognize the genocide in order other countries to recognize it, as well," the occupied Khojali Region Administration's Former Head and Azerbaijani Member of Parliament Elman Mammadov told Trend on Feb. 12.
On the night of 25 to 26 February 1992 the Azerbaijani settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh, Khojali, was occupied by Armenian separatists, with active participation of military personnel and army tanks of the 366th regiment of the Russian army. In a matter of several hours, more than 600 unarmed Azerbaijani citizens, including 106 women and 83 children, were brutally killed. The annihilation of the peaceful people continued for several days during which time the Armenians executed and killed prisoners, committed violence against women and children, cut off the heads of Azerbaijani military prisoners and had them hung up. During this crime, 487 people, including 76 juveniles were physically disabled and 1,275 people were taken prisoner. Despite the release of most of the prisoners, the fate of 150 people is still unknown.
The Azerbaijani Parliament recognized 1994 Khojali tragedy as genocide.
Mammadov said that the Turkish parliament had not discussed Khojali tragedy at a necessary level. "I have participated in the Turkish parliament's discussions on Khojali tragedy for three years. The Turkish-Azerbaijani Interparliamentary Friendship Group's chairman takes part in the Khojali discussions each year. One or two members of the Turkish parliament express their position on this issue and the parliament is satisfied only with it," the member of the parliament said.
The Turkish parliament will discuss Khojali genocide due to its 17th anniversary, Turkish-Azerbaijani Interparliamentary Friendship Group Co-Chairman Mustafa Kabakchi told Trend earlier. "On the threshold of the 17th anniversary of the genocide, the Turkish parliament will hold discussions to remind younger generation of the tragedy," Kabakchi said.
The Azerbaijani parliament will send appeals and resolutions on Khojali genocide to parliaments of other countries in 2009, Mammadov said. "The parliament will send appeals to international organizations, other countries' parliaments and the Azerbaijani diaspora organizations on behalf of the Khojali region people," Mammadov said.
The Azerbaijani parliament must conduct the planned work in order the Turkish parliament to recognize Khojali tragedy as genocide," the Azerbaijani-Turkish Interparliamentary Relations Working Group Member Nasib Nasibli told Trend . "The Azerbaijani parliament should send a concrete appeal to the Turkish parliament to pass official decision to recognize Khojali tragedy as genocide," Nasibli said.
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