On January 8, 2025, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated that Azerbaijanis left Armenia voluntarily during the Soviet Union's collapse, asserting that they departed in a "civilized manner," with many exchanging apartments and receiving compensation. His comments, however, contradict both historical accounts and recent research.
A few days ago, prior to Mirzoyan’s statement, former Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosyan's 1993 comments came to light, admitting that ethnic cleansing was systematically pursued by Armenia against Western Azerbaijanis, aiming for demographic advantage. Ter-Petrosyan’s admission, alongside Mirzoyan's claim, exposed a significant disparity between official narratives and historical facts.
To challenge Mirzoyan's claim, the Center for Social Research conducted a survey among 1,000 Western Azerbaijanis who were expelled from their historical lands before and during 1988. The findings reveal stark contradictions to the Armenian Foreign Minister’s statements, affirming that Western Azerbaijanis were victims of forced expulsion and violence, not voluntary migration.
Findings from the Sociological Survey:
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Forced Expulsion, Not Voluntary Migration: A resounding 93.1% of respondents affirmed that they were forced to leave their homes due to violence, pressure, and threats, directly challenging the Armenian government’s narrative of voluntary departure. Only a small percentage (0.7%) of individuals who had migrated prior to 1988 stated that they left voluntarily. The remaining 6.2% of respondents were unsure or could not answer, further highlighting the high level of coercion involved in their displacement.
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The Ethnic Cleansing Escalated in 1988: The survey found that 87.1% of participants were expelled from their homes in 1988, marking the peak of the Armenian government’s policy of ethnic cleansing. This year saw widespread violence and systematic efforts to displace Azerbaijanis from their historical territories. Some respondents (9.9%) were expelled between 1960 and 1987, and 3.0% were forced to leave by 1960. These results highlight the intensification of Armenia’s deportation policies in 1988, which disrupted the ethnic and social fabric of the region.
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Absence of Compensation: A striking finding from the survey was that none of the respondents reported receiving compensation for the properties they left behind, directly contradicting Mirzoyan’s statement that 160,000 Azerbaijanis were compensated by the Armenian government. A full 98.5% of survey participants stated they did not receive any form of compensation, further debunking the official claim.
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Property Rights Violations: In response to claims that Azerbaijanis had sold or exchanged their properties voluntarily, the survey revealed widespread violations of property rights. A significant 91.6% of respondents confirmed that they were forced to leave the homes they lived in. Only 2.1% said they sold their apartments, and 4.4% indicated they exchanged properties, often under duress. The findings suggest that even those who sold or exchanged their homes did so in the face of extreme pressure and violence, disproving the idea of a voluntary process.
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Uncertainty About Property Fate: When asked about the fate of their homes after they were expelled, 64.7% of respondents reported that they had no information about what happened to their properties. This lack of transparency and the uncertain future of their homes further underline the injustice and violations of property rights faced by Western Azerbaijanis during their expulsion.
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The Right to Return: Despite the trauma of forced displacement, 63.5% of Western Azerbaijanis expressed full belief that they would one day be able to return to their ancestral lands. This belief in the restoration of their rights reflects a strong sense of attachment to their historical territories. A further 20.8% of respondents expressed partial belief in the right to return. These findings reveal that, despite the hardships faced by these individuals, the desire for return remains central to their identity and aspirations.
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Support for Peaceful Dialogue in the Return Process: The majority of respondents (64.5%) indicated that the return to their historical lands should be pursued through dialogue and peaceful means. However, a smaller group (12.6%) believed international pressure and mediation could facilitate the process, while 15.9% supported the idea of military force as a potential solution. These varied responses underscore the urgency felt by Western Azerbaijanis regarding the restoration of their rights and the return to their lands.
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Deep Emotional and Cultural Attachment: A significant 87.6% of respondents expressed a strong emotional attachment to their historical lands, viewing the restoration of their rights not only as a legal matter but as an essential part of their national and cultural identity. For these individuals, the return to their lands represents a vital step in reconnecting with their heritage and rebuilding their cultural roots.
Conclusion
The findings of this sociological survey provide compelling evidence that contradicts the Armenian government’s narrative of voluntary migration and compensation. The overwhelming majority of Western Azerbaijanis were forcibly displaced through violence, pressure, and intimidation, often without compensation or any recourse to justice for the violations of their property rights. These results confirm the long-standing policy of ethnic cleansing carried out by Armenia against the Azerbaijani population, a policy that intensified in 1988 and had lasting effects on the region’s demographic and social structure.
Despite these injustices, Western Azerbaijanis remain hopeful that their right to return to their historical lands will one day be realized. Their deep attachment to their ancestral territories and their firm belief in the restoration of their rights signal that this issue will remain a central part of their identity and their national agenda moving forward.
