Sumgait Events Not Orchestrated by Azerbaijanis

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has issued a statement in response to recent comments made by the Armenian Foreign Ministry regarding the massacre of Armenians in Sumgait in February of 1988. This horrific event remains a point of contention between the two nations. Aykhan Hajizade, an official spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, has declared that the Azerbaijani people were not involved in this tragedy.

Hajizade went on to explain his government’s perspective on the matter. “We feel it is important to clarify to the Armenian Foreign Ministry that the riots in Sumgait, which occurred on international soil, were not spontaneous outbreaks of violence, but rather premeditated and planned provocations. These acts were instigated by the USSR and Armenia, as well as Armenian chauvinist ideologues and extremist organizations,” articulated Hajizade.

To support his claims, Hajizade presented evidence to counter the narrative that the Azerbaijani people were responsible for the violence. The spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry pointed out that there were six Azerbaijanis who tragically lost their lives during the Sumgait riots. He argued that this fact proves that the violence was not instigated nor carried out by the Azerbaijani population, thereby challenging the assertions made by the Armenian Foreign Ministry.