US Azerbaijanis urge US government to be proactive in exerting pressure on Armenia

The Azerbaijani Diaspora in the US, under the umbrella of USAN, has started their new Action Alert, by sending hundreds of letters to the US elected officials regarding July 23 - a day of sorrow for loss of Azerbaijani town of Aghdam to occupying Armenian army.\

“In early 1988, Armenian nationalists in Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of Azerbaijan [NKAO] backed by Armenian Republic started mass exodus of ethnic Azerbaijanis from their ancestral homes demanding transfer of Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan to Armenia”, say the letters.

“By mid 1993, after complete ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijanis from Nagorno Karabakh and massacres in Khojaly, Shusha and Kelbajar regions, Armenian forces advanced on the heartland Azerbaijan by engaging a heavy warfare on the region of Agdam northeast of former NKAO”, add the letters.

Agdam is one of the ancient regions of Azerbaijan with a territory of 1,094 sq km and population of 153,000 people. As a result of Armenian attack, the provincial capital Agdam along with 80 villages constituting 882 sq km was occupied. 128,000 out of 153,000 residents of Agdam fled becoming a part of 1 million refugee camp of Azerbaijan.

Occupation of Agdam by Armenian forces caused material destruction equaling $6.179 billion. 5,897 “ethnic Azerbaijanis died in Agdam during the days of occupation”, the authors remind.

According to the letters, “After fall of Agdam, Armenians would continue illegal occupation of Azerbaijani territories and in the following four months take over regions of Gubadli, Zagilan, Jabrayil, Fizuli”.

“As a member of Azerbaijani-American community, we urge the US government to be proactive in exerting pressure on Armenia to take a constructive stance, force it to comply with UN SC and GA resolutions, withdraw from internationally recognized Azerbaijani territories and allow return of Azerbaijani refugees to their homes”, read the letters.


/APA/