Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

A commemorative ceremony on the occasion of the 22nd anniversary of the Khojaly tragedy has been held in Istanbul, Turkey.

The event organized by the Istanbul Turkey-Azerbaijan Association was attended by Azerbaijani MPs Agil Abbas, Elman Mammadov, members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Atilla Kaya, Ali Ozgunduz, professor of Maltepe Univeristy Turkan Saylan, Secretary-General of Anatolia Intellectuals Hearth Ibrahim Oztekin and witnesses of the genocide.

Addressing the event Azerbaijan`s Consul General in Istanbul Hasan Zeynalov said that Khojaly tragedy has been recognized as a genocide in many countries.

He also emphasized the role of the "Justice for Khojaly" international campaign in recognizing the massacre as the genocideand educating the world community about the massacre.

Head of the Istanbul Turkey-Azerbaijan Association Safar Garakoyunlu spoke of the Khojaly tragedy, and noted that Azerbaijani lands will be freed soon, and refugees and internally displaced persons would return to their native lands.

A photo exhibition on the tragedy was also held as part of the event.

Late into the night from February 25 to 26, 1992, the town of Khojaly, situated within the administrative borders of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, came under intensive fire from the towns of Khankendi and Askeran, already occupied by Armenian armed forces.

There were 3,000 people in the town when the Armenian military forces attacked, as the most part of the population had to leave town during 4-month blockade. The Armenian armed forces, supported by the ex-Soviet 366th regiment, completed the surrounding of the town already isolated due to ethnic cleansing of the Azerbaijani population of the neighboring regions. The joint forces occupied the town, which was ruined by heavy artillery shelling.

As many as 613 civilians mostly women and children were killed in the massacre, and a total of 1,000 people were disabled. Eight families were exterminated, 25 children lost both parents, and 130 children lost one parent.

Moreover, 1,275 innocent people were taken hostage, and the fate of 150 of them remains unknown. Civilians were shot at close range, scalped, and burned alive. Some had their eyes gouged out and others were beheaded.