Tural Ganjaliyev: The 1918 massacres are grave crimes against humanity

The massacres committed against Azerbaijanis in March 1918 are among the grave crimes directed not only against one nation but against humanity as a whole.

This was stated by Member of Parliament Tural Ganjaliyev in a statement to "The Daily Baku".

According to him, the annual commemoration of the March 31 events is not accidental, and this date carries special significance not only as a day of remembrance but also in terms of preserving historical memory. “Why do we constantly emphasize and commemorate these events every year? Because when such tragedies are not discussed and not kept on the agenda, the likelihood of their recurrence increases,” the MP stressed.

Tural Ganjaliyev noted that the March 1918 events were not limited to a single day. According to him, these massacres lasted for weeks and were carried out in a planned and systematic manner in various regions of Azerbaijan – including Karabakh, Baku, Guba, Ganja, and other areas.

The MP stated that if these events had occurred in only one region, some might attempt to explain them with various justifications. “However, here we are talking about crimes committed specifically against civilians. These massacres carried out against peaceful people covered vast territories of the country geographically, which indicates their deliberate and systematic nature,” he said.

According to him, these events were given proper political and legal assessment after Azerbaijan restored its independence. The MP recalled that National Leader Heydar Aliyev signed a relevant decree in 1998 declaring March 31 as the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis.

Tural Ganjaliyev emphasized that this date must always be remembered and passed on to future generations. “We must not forget these events, we must constantly remind ourselves and others of them, and draw conclusions both for ourselves and for others,” the MP said.

He added that history shows that forces committing violence against civilians never achieve success. “Any force or state that raises a hand against civilians has been doomed to failure throughout history. One clear example of this is Armenia,” he noted.

The MP stated that the events of 1918 were repeated in later periods as well. According to him, the tragedy committed in Khojaly on February 26, 1992, was a continuation of this policy.

“In fact, their defeat began on the very day they committed these crimes. They simply did not realize it immediately,” Tural Ganjaliyev concluded.