Recently, Azerbaijan has initiated a targeted campaign against the sovereign territory of Armenia, employing various cultural events to "legitimize" its territorial ambitions and further its appropriation of Armenian cultural heritage. This campaign targets both tangible and intangible heritage, as well as the history and identity of the Armenian people. A notable example of this was the gathering organized by the "Western Azerbaijan Community" in Berdzor on August 6, as part of the "Diaspora Youth Fifth Summer Camp." This strategically planned event, held from August 1-7, brought together approximately 115 young people from 60 countries worldwide (Fig. 1, 2, 3, 4, https://westaz.org/en/xeber/diaspor-genclerinin-v-yay-dusergesi-cercivesinde-2024-cu-il-avqust-ayinin-6-da-lacin -seherinde-qerbi-azerbaycanlilarla-gorus-kecirilmisdir#prettyPhoto).

The event is state-oriented and promotes Ilham Aliyev's policy of appropriating Armenian territories, as evidenced by the financial support from the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the organizational efforts carried out by the State Committee for Work with the Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This involvement is explicitly mentioned on the official website of the so-called "Western Azerbaijan" community https://www.facebook.com/QAicmasi/posts/pfbid02uhf4Bms4dJb5Q1ENUJe2NEFHoyDBRZ7Rao2hfWg7SxJ8aD6yM2bDhS7tD5eMU1jEl.

During the meeting, members of the "Western Azerbaijan Community" delivered speeches highlighting Azerbaijan's clear ambitions for the sovereign territory of Armenia, repeatedly using the misleading term "Western Azerbaijan." It's important to note that in Azerbaijan, "Western Azerbaijan" refers to the entire territory of present-day Armenia. Speakers at the event included Galib Gasimov, as well as community workers Sanan Akhmad and Anar Irzaguluev, who openly discussed the appropriation of Armenian territory. Additionally, a book presentation was held as part of the event.

The documentary film "A Look at Western Azerbaijan" was also screened, featuring photographs that falsely portray Armenia's historical monuments as part of Azerbaijan's ancient heritage.

Among the regions already claimed by Azerbaijan, including Sevan, Syunik, and Yerevan, the "Zorats Karer" historical and cultural monument in the Sisian region is now being falsely presented as a "monument in the historical territory of Azerbaijan."

It is important to note that the "Western Azerbaijan Community" is simply a rebranded version of the "Azerbaijani Refugee Union" NGO. The Azerbaijani propaganda surrounding the fictitious concept of "West Azerbaijan" is not new. On December 29, 2022, the presidency of the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan decided to establish several departments aimed at reinforcing this narrative: the "History of Western Azerbaijan" department at the A. A. Bakhikhanov Institute of History, the "Western Azerbaijan Folklore" department at the Institute of Folklore, and the "Toponymy of Western Azerbaijan" department at the Institute of Linguistics named after Nasimi.

It is important to remember that such events are ongoing. A previous one was held in Nakhichevan from June 21 to 22, as part of the ethnographic festival-convention titled "Return to Western Azerbaijan."

Our response

Parallel to its policy of de-Armenianization, genocide, and forced deportation of Armenians from their historical homeland, Azerbaijan continues to pursue territorial, historical, and cultural ambitions against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and the cultural heritage of the Armenian people. For more detailed information on the misuse of the term "Western Azerbaijan," you can read other articles on our website, including "A New Attempt to Expropriate Armenian Historical and Cultural Heritage," "West Azerbaijan State Television Launched in Baku," and "The Organization Called 'Western Azerbaijan Community' Appeals to UNESCO to Prevent the Destruction of the Cultural Heritage of 'Western Azerbaijan'." Additionally, you can explore more about the newly created term "Western Azerbaijan" in the following article by Ruben Galichyan (https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Text-and-Maps-in-Armenian.pdf).