BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 26. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye has shared a statement commemorating the victims of the Khojaly genocide, Trend reports.
The message was published on the Ministry’s official page on X.
“We strongly condemn the massacre perpetrated against innocent civilians on 26 February 1992 in the town of Khojaly, located in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. The atrocities committed in Khojaly remain a shameful stain on the conscience of humanity.
The pain of our 613 brothers and sisters who were brutally killed, as well as those who were wounded, taken captive, and went missing, still weighs heavy on our hearts.
We wish Allah's mercy upon our brothers and sisters who lost their lives during the Khojaly Massacre and extend our condolences to the people of Azerbaijan,” the post reads.
Today marks the 34th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide committed by Armenian armed forces. The Khojaly genocide stands as one of the bloodiest tragedies of Armenia’s occupation and genocide policy against Azerbaijan.
On the night from February 25-26, 1992, Armenian armed forces attacked Khojaly, which had been under blockade since October 1991, with its road and energy connections severed, and carried out mass atrocities against Azerbaijani civilians. The massacre was perpetrated with the assistance of the 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the former Soviet Armed Forces.
During the killings, 613 people were brutally murdered, including 63 children, 106 women, and 70 elderly persons. A total of 487 people sustained injuries of varying degrees, 1275 were taken captive and subjected to torture, 8 families were annihilated, 130 children lost one parent, and 25 lost both parents. The fate of many hostages remains unknown.
These atrocities were not merely military operations but part of a policy driven by ethnic hatred and discrimination. Similar targeted massacres against Azerbaijanis in settlements such as Baghanis Ayrim, Jamilli, Karkijahan, Meshali, Malibeyli, Garadaghli, Tugh, and Salakatin further demonstrate the systematic and premeditated nature of the Khojaly genocide.
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