The TCA commemorates the twentieth anniversary of the Khojaly massacre, which occurred on February 25-26, 1992 in the town of Khojaly located in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. As a result of this tragedy, approximately 2,000 innocent Azerbaijani civilians were deliberately killed and taken hostage by Armenian armed forces in what is known to be the worst atrocity of modern times in the South Caucasus region.
It is a sad reality that Khojaly was only the first of seven additional Azerbaijani territories overrun by Armenian forces. As a result of Armenia’s expansionist policies, it is estimated that nearly one million Azerbaijanis were forcibly displaced from their homes. While the active hostilities that ensued during the course of these criminal acts have subsided, separatist Armenian forces continue to occupy roughly 20% of the territory of Azerbaijan.
The United Nations, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and the Organization of the Islamic Conference have all passed resolutions condemning Armenian aggression in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The aggressive policies of Armenia continue to be the biggest obstacle to regional prosperity and stability.
The TCA stands together with the peoples and friends of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani Americans in solemnly commemorating the Khojaly massacre and stresses the need of Armenia to respect the territorial integrity of its neighbors and to withdraw its troops from the illegally occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
