By Arshaluys Barseghyan
Azerbaijan has repeated calls for global recognition of the 1918 massacres of Azerbaijanis by Armenians as genocide, despite efforts by Armenia’s leadership to stop mutual recriminations about history amidst peace efforts.
Former Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev, the father of President Ilham Aliyev, issued a decree in 1998 declaring March 31 “the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis,” accusing Armenians of killing “tens of thousands of Azerbaijanis.”
“Although the systematic killing of the civilian population during the March–April 1918 incidents was committed on the basis of their ethnic origin and religion, these crimes of genocide have unfortunately not yet been recognized at the international level,” Azerbaijani Human Rights Defender Sabina Aliyeva’s statement read.
During the period, several overlapping wars were ongoing, including WWI, the Russian Civil War, the Turkish–Armenian War, and local conflicts between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. Thousands were killed in the mass violence, including civilians on all sides in a series of tit-for-tat massacres.
Amidst the backdrop of widespread violence, only Azerbaijan and Turkey appear to use the word “genocide” to describe the massacres of Azerbaijanis at that time.
