Ilham Aliyev urges Armenia not to frighten return of Azerbaijanis

The return of Azerbaijanis should not frighten Armenia, Azerbaijanis have never fallen victim to the disease of separatism, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said in his speech at the conference marking the 80th anniversary of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

In his address, the head of state touched upon the topics of the Armenian occupation, liberated territories, and historical truth.

"When speaking about Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur, one cannot avoid the topic of Azerbaijan's history. Unfortunately, for many years, the Armenian side and its diaspora have distorted our history, and this propaganda continues. We must counter them with our scientific truths," Ilham Aliyev said.

According to the Azerbaijani leader, Azerbaijanis contribute to the development of statehood in the countries where they live. In the South Caucasus, Azerbaijanis have always lived on both sides of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border, and Armenia should not fear the return of the Azerbaijani population.

"Our people have always lived across vast territories, and Azerbaijanis still reside on both sides of our current borders," the President of Azerbaijan noted.

According to him, Azerbaijani people have contributed to the statehood of the countries they live in, and today, in no country do Azerbaijanis create or will create problems for any state or any other people.

"Azerbaijanis have never fallen victim to the disease of separatism...Therefore, the return of Azerbaijanis to present-day Armenia should not frighten the Armenian people and state. I said that we would return there not in tanks, but in cars," Ilham Aliyev said.

He emphasized that for such a return to become possible, state institutions, public organizations, and scholars must all play their part. He expressed confidence that while scholars have already produced numerous works on this topic, more are needed. Scientific research, exhibitions, publications, and the creation of historical maps must be carried out.

"On old Russian imperial maps from the early 20th century, it is clearly visible that almost all toponyms on the territory of present-day Armenia are of Azerbaijani origin: there is no Lake Sevan, there is Lake Goycha. We did not create these maps - they were made by Tsarist Russia, which at the time resettled Armenians from Iran and Eastern Anatolia to Karabakh to alter the ethnic composition. These maps are a reflection of historical truth. We must study and promote them," Ilham Aliyev said.