Azernews.Az

Qabil Ashirov

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Azerbaijan has continued the implementation of its Great Return program, relocating another group of former internally displaced persons (IDPs) to villages in the liberated districts of Shusha and Khojavend, in line with instructions from President Ilham Aliyev.

AzerNEWS reports that the latest phase of the resettlement program includes 21 families comprising 87 people in the village of Quzeykhirman in Khojavend District, 18 families with 72 residents in Guneykhirman, and 15 families totaling 51 people in the Kiçik Qaladərəsi village of the Shusha District.

The returning residents had spent decades living in temporary accommodation across Azerbaijan, including dormitories, sanatoriums and administrative buildings, after being displaced during the First Karabakh War.

Residents expressed gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva for facilitating their return and providing newly built homes. They also thanked the Azerbaijani Armed Forces for liberating the territories and paid tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives during the country's military operations.

For many of the returnees, the relocation marks the fulfillment of a lifelong dream delayed for more than three decades.

"I was 25 years old when we were forced to leave our village in 1992. Today, I am returning at the age of 60. We left behind countless dreams, hoping one day we would come back and fulfill them. Those dreams remained unfinished for decades, and now we are finally returning to where they began. It is impossible to describe this feeling in words—you have to experience it to truly understand it," said Ismayil Abdullayev, a former IDP resettled in Kiçik Qaladərəsi.

Abdullayev noted that he is returning home with his children and grandchildren. His son is a veteran of the 2020 Patriotic War, while he himself fought during the conflict in 1992.

"When we left this land, our family consisted of four people. Today, we are more than ten. We pray for mercy upon our martyrs, wish good health to our veterans, and hope our country never experiences war again. No one should have to live the life of a refugee," he said.

Another returnee, Vasila Mammadova, said she was finally returning to her hometown after 34 years.

"I left here as a young woman, and today I return with gray hair. But I thank God that I have lived to see this day. We will sacrifice an animal in gratitude, boil our samovar, and celebrate our return home. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to come back and for the new house provided to us," she said.

Mammadova recalled that she still remembers every path and every road in her native village despite decades of displacement.

"These lands have always been ours. As our President has said, we are united like a fist, and we stand by him. This time I am returning alone, but I am thankful that I have been given the chance to come back to my homeland," she added.

Another former displaced resident, Zumrud Abbasova, described the return as an emotional moment that words could scarcely capture.

"We are overjoyed to be going back to our homeland. We are all overwhelmed with emotion. I have promised myself that when I arrive home, I will sacrifice an animal in gratitude. God willing, I will also hold my daughter's wedding in our native village. My greatest wish is for every displaced person to return to their homeland and live in peace once again," she said.

The latest relocation is part of Azerbaijan's broader effort to rebuild and repopulate territories regained after the 2020 conflict. The government continues to restore infrastructure, construct housing, and create conditions for the permanent return of former internally displaced persons to their native communities.