Azernews.Az

YEREVAN - Armenia has prepared a special plan to increase the number of Armenian settlers in the occupied Nagorno Karabakh region of Azerbaijan to 300,000, head of a Turkish group was quoted by Zaman newspaper as saying.

Savas Egilmez of the Society against the Groundless Genocide Claims (ASIMED) said the plan aims at "return to Karabakh" and Armenia has stepped up efforts in this regard.

Nagorno Karabakh is an Azerbaijani region occupied by Armenia since a 1994 cease-fire ended separatist hostilities that killed an estimated 30,000 people and ousted about one million Azerbaijanis from their homes. Armenia continues to occupy Nagorno Karabakh and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Years of peace talks have brought few tangible results.

Egilmez said the plan was prepared a long time ago and seeks "to wipe out the Azerbaijani population of Karabakh".

"While raising the Armenian population, they are trying to swiftly reduce the number of Turks culturally and demographically. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis have been killed and over 50,000 expelled from their homeland, more than 4,000 people have been taken hostage or prisoners. Ancient Azerbaijani monuments, cemeteries and mosques have been destroyed".

Eyilmez added that Karabakh has turned into a stronghold for drug trafficking involving ASALA and PKK terror groups.