Baku (UNA-OIC) – Azerbaijan’s parliamentarian and writer Könül Nurullayeva praised the support of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and its member states for her country against the repeated Armenian attacks, especially the recent aggression that erupted on 12 July.
In a press statement, a copy of which was seen by the Union of OIC News Agencies (UNA), Nuralayeva said, “I would like to refer, in particular, to the statement of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemning the Armenian attack in the direction of the borders with my country.”
She cited the OIC statement as saying, “The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation strongly condemns the attack of the Armenian armed forces in the direction of the Tovuz region of the Republic of Azerbaijan, violation of the ceasefire, and as a consequence the death and injury of Azerbaijani servicemen.”
The statement contained an expression of OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen’s condolences to the families of the victims and his wishes for a speedy recovery of the injured.
In the statement, the OIC reiterated its decisions and resolutions and those of the UN Security Council demanding full and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, and supporting a peaceful settlement to the conflict on the basis of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of its internationally recognized borders.
The Azerbaijani MP said her country appreciates the support of the Islamic world, which contributes to Islamic solidarity, pointing out that the Islamic world is well aware that Armenia occupied the historical lands of Azerbaijan – Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. The policy of ethnic cleansing has been relentlessly pursued in those areas, forcing more than a million of Azerbaijanis to become refugees and internally displaced persons. In 1992, Armenia committed the genocide in Khojaly, where 613 civilians were killed, including 106 women and 63 children, in addition to thousands of missing and injured people.
She indicated that the UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on the conflict demanding immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the Azerbaijani territories.
Meanwhile, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and other organizations have adopted similar decisions and resolutions. However, the occupier Armenia ignores any of these decisions and continues its war crimes against the Azerbaijani civilian population. Despite the ceasefire, civilians and servicemen are killed as a result of Armenian armed attacks.
Trying to present itself as a friend of Muslim countries, Armenia is destroying mosques and religious monuments in Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas, and ruining Islamic values. As the President of Azerbaijan said, a country that destroys mosques can never be a friend of Muslim countries. We are confident that the Islamic world will continue to support the fair settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict within the framework of the international law.
Nurullayeva said that the Armenian armed forces once again violating the norms and principles of international law committed provocations in order to seize our positions in the direction of Tovuz region on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border since July 12. Suddenly, our servicemen were killed as a result of artillery fire on the post of Azerbaijani military units. The point is that this military provocation is not the first case. Over the past few months, Azerbaijani servicemen and civil persons have been killed as a result of these armed provocations. During the ceasefire period, more than 30 children have been killed by Armenian snipers.
Of course, Azerbaijan, using its sovereign right, resolutely prevented another provocation by Armenia, and responded adequately. As a result, all the efforts of the Armenian side failed, and Azerbaijan protected its state border. Armenia, targeting the civilian population, killed our 76-year-old compatriot, a resident of Aghdam village of Tovuz region. By doing so, Armenia has revealed its terrorist and occupier nature by shooting down and killing civilians.
The world once again saw the true face of Armenia. The international community once again witnessed that Armenia is a threat to the security of the region as a whole. Of course, all the responsibility for what happened lies with the military-political leadership of Armenia. However, as paradoxical as it may sound, on the one hand, Armenia appeals to the international community and asks for help in strengthening the ceasefire regime on the line of contact.
The Azerbaijani MP affirmed that the President of Azerbaijan has always stated that we will never accept the fact that our occupied lands remain in this state. This is a message addressed to both the occupier and the international community. Armenia has long sought to involve the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), of which it is a member, into the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict through similar military adventures, and to evade responsibility for occupation and aggression against Azerbaijan.
Nurullayeva explained that Azerbaijan has established close friendly relations with all CSTO countries except Armenia, although not being a member of this organization.
AB/UNA-OIC
