Azernews.Az

Ulviyya Poladova

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In line with an instruction from President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s Great Return program to the territories liberated from occupation continues, AzerNEWS reports.

Today, 22 families comprising 102 people are being relocated to the city of Khankendi.

Residents departing for their ancestral homeland expressed their gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva for the comprehensive state support provided to them. They also expressed their appreciation to the Azerbaijani Army, as well as to the soldiers and officers who liberated the country’s territories from occupation, and paid tribute to the martyrs who lost their lives in the struggle.

The families returning to their ancestral homes had previously been temporarily settled in different parts of Azerbaijan, mainly in dormitories, sanatoriums and administrative buildings.

Years of longing for their homeland, painful memories and the hardships of displacement have now given way to tears of joy. The dreams of thousands of internally displaced people who endured years of hardship while preserving their love for their homeland are becoming a reality.

Among those returning to Khankendi is former internally displaced person and martyr’s mother Azizа Mirzayeva. Speaking about her emotions as she departed from Baku for her hometown, she described the return as not only a geographical homecoming but also a restoration of a deep spiritual connection.

"I am experiencing very mixed emotions. As a displaced person, I lived in 11 different places at different times. Thank God, we are finally returning to our homeland," Mirzayeva said.

During this emotional moment, she remembered with gratitude the Azerbaijani martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, prayed for the souls of those who died, and wished good health to the wounded veterans.