“In the late 1980s, the Soviet government committed another crime against our people. This time, both Armenian nationalists and their patrons in the Soviet government took advantage of the resignation of Great Leader Heydar Aliyev and immediately sprang into action. Two weeks after Heydar Aliyev had been removed from all positions in November 1987, Armenian nationalists raised their heads,” said President Ilham Aliyev in a meeting with a group of intellectuals from Western Azerbaijan.
“The Soviet government supported them and another crime was orchestrated against our people both in Karabakh and in the former Republic of Armenia. Azerbaijanis were deported from their historical lands in Western Azerbaijan. We all know and remember that history well. We also know the number of places where Azerbaijanis lived – more than 170 villages were populated only by Azerbaijanis. I am talking about Armenia, the Republic of Armenia. The Azerbaijanis accounted for the majority of about 90 villages. In general, Azerbaijanis lived in more than 300 towns and villages. All of them were forced out of Armenia over the course of three years.”
“They were expelled, many of them were killed and tortured. All these crimes were taking place with the connivance of the Soviet government. Our last village, Nuvedi, was subjected to deportation in August 1991. As if that wasn’t enough, a crime was committed against our people in Karabakh too,” the President of Azerbaijan added.
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