BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7
Trend:
The Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh has issued a statement in connection with the 28th anniversary of the occupation of Shusha city, Trend reports on May 7.
Shusha city, occupied by the Armenian armed forces on May 8, 1992, was one of the most strategically important spots in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, said the statement.
As a result of the occupation, Shusha city and its 30 villages were destroyed, 195 civilians were killed, 165 people were injured, 58 people went missing, and more than 24,000 residents became internally displaced persons (IDPs) and settled in 58 districts of Azerbaijan.
Shusha, distinguished by its unique urban architecture, had 17 blocks: Gurdlar, Seyidli, Julfalar, Guyulug, Chuxur, Dordlar Gurdu, Hajı Yusifli, Dord Chinar, Chol Gala, Mardinli, Saatlı, Kocharli, Mamayı, Khoja Marjanlı, Damirchi, Hamam Gabagı və Taza mahalla, including bathhouses, mosques and springs.
“As a result of the occupation of Shusha, the Armenian armed forces looted, burned and destroyed 25 schools, 31 libraries, 20 medical institutions, 17 clubs, 8 houses of culture, 4 colleges, two branches of institutes, 7 kindergartens, 4 cinemas, 5 culture and recreational parks, a tourist base, 2 hotels, a branch of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, Shusha State Drama Theater, Shusha Television, Oriental Musical Instrument Factory, State Art Gallery, Children’s Health School,” said the statement.
“Twenty eight years have passed since the occupation of Shusha, which is one of the cultural centers of Azerbaijan. We do not lose hope and believe that we will definitely return to Shusha and restore our ruined city,” the statement said.
“On behalf of the 80,000-people Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, including the 30,000-strong Azerbaijani community of Shusha district, we call on the world community to uphold our country's fair position so that the aggression of Armenia against the Azerbaijani people that continues today, and to give an objective legal assessment of the occupation,” the statement said.
“We declare that an equitable settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict is possible only after the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories and the return of the ethnic cleansed Azerbaijanis to their native lands. Being the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, we are ready to live in peace with the Armenian community of the region within the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan. Only in this case can a sustainable and just peace be ensured in the region,” the statement said.