BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. The Azerbaijani population was forced to leave their historical lands solely because of their ethnicity, Special Advisor to the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on International Relations and Diplomacy, Professor Huseyn Ishiksal said, Trend reports.
He made the remark at the Second International Conference on "Right to Return: Advancing Justice for Azerbaijanis Expelled from Armenia" today.
"In addition to forced deportation, we are also witnessing acts of cultural genocide. This is just one of many historical examples.
We see destroyed mosques and lost historical and cultural heritage. According to my research, the damage exceeds $2.5 billion for private property and $17.5 billion for state property," the diplomat added.
Ishiksal added that Azerbaijanis and Turkish Cypriots are subjected to violence, oppression, and the destruction of their identity and cultural heritage, which is one of the most overlooked and least known issues for the international community.
Baku hosts the second international conference of the Western Azerbaijan Community on “Right to Return: Advancing Justice for Azerbaijanis Expelled from Armenia.”
The conference is attended by more than 100 delegates from 51 countries.
The event covers the following topics: the history of the expulsion of Western Azerbaijanis from Armenia, the basis of their right of return, the restoration of cultural heritage, and diplomatic efforts in this field.
To note, every year on December 5, the anniversary of the deportation of Western Azerbaijanis, which took place in 1987-1991, is marked. A similar international conference was held last year. More than 100 delegates from 44 countries participated in the international conference dedicated to “Ensuring the safe and dignified return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia: global context and just solution.”
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