BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 14. The newest installment of the analytical video series hit the airwaves on the expert platform Baku Network, showcasing the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Western Azerbaijan Community, former Minister of Education, Professor Misir Mardanov, as the featured guest, Trend reports.
Speaking about the prospects of our compatriots returning to Western Azerbaijan, which is their ancestral and historical land, Mardanov noted that the foundation for discussing these issues was laid three years ago.
"On December 24, 2022, President, victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev attended the opening ceremony of the administrative building of the Western Azerbaijan Community, where he met with a group of intellectuals from Western Azerbaijan. I would say that this meeting is written in golden letters in the history of Azerbaijan," he said.
Mardanov emphasized that the Karabakh issue had been resolved, and now attention should be focused on the issue of the return of Azerbaijanis to the territories where they once lived – in Western Azerbaijan.
"This is the land of our ancestors. Our grandparents lived there, they are buried there. We have a huge, rich cultural heritage there. There are cemeteries and mosques, and we have the right to return to the homeland of our ancestors, but we want to return peacefully. Therefore, it's necessary to develop a concept. At this meeting, the head of state instructed to prepare the relevant concept and legal framework, inform the international community about the essence of the issue, and explore peaceful ways of return," he mentioned.
According to Mardanov, in the three years since this meeting, the Western Azerbaijan Community has done a great deal of work. "Our community is the most active among the public and non-governmental organizations currently operating in Azerbaijan," the professor also said.
Along with Baku, branches of the community are being organized in all cities and regions of the country, and a census of citizens from Western Azerbaijan is being conducted, the professor explained.
"Research is being carried out, books are being published, connections are being established with international organizations. In other words, in the time since the creation of the Community, we have accomplished work equivalent to twenty years of effort," he pointed out.
Mardanov recalled that in 2001 while attending an international event in Armenia, he visited the Ijevan district, his native Goyarchin village.
"I was there for the last time in 1981 and returned after 20 years. Of course, it was very hard to go there and see Armenians living in my house. I experienced those moments, but I was among Armenians, so I did not let my emotions show. Of course, I failed to visit all the places in the village, but I visited the homes of several of my old neighbors. It turned out that mainly elderly Armenians live there. For example, elderly spouses who were around 70-80 years old lived in our house. Everything there is in a state of ruin. From Yerevan to our village is about 140 kilometers. In Soviet times, everything was flourishing, and there were many people. People from the Gazakh, Aghstafa, and Tovuz districts of Azerbaijan would vacation there. Now, these roads are overgrown with grass.
I'm sure that now, other villages where Azerbaijanis lived are almost empty. What do we want from the Armenians? What do we want to say? We are saying: we'll come to the abandoned lands, to our homes, revive them, and bring life back to these places. I personally believe we'll return to these lands. We must return! Therefore, we need to work a lot, and conduct propaganda. Especially among the youth. We must tell them the story as it is," he said.
He emphasized that he is determined to return to his ancestral homeland, the Garagoyunlu neighborhood, where 13 villages are ancient Azerbaijani settlements.
"We'll return to these villages. I am looking forward to that day. I am confident that even if it takes a long time, international institutions, and great powers will abandon the double standards policy they have pursued until now, justice and rights will prevail, and everyone will get the opportunity to live in their homeland. I repeat – we need to work hard to make our dream come true," said Mardanov.
He added that work is underway to assess the damage caused to the movable and immovable property of compatriots who were expelled from Western Azerbaijan.
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