"We never wanted war. For 17 years I held talks with the leaders of Armenia, trying to convince them that if they did not vacate our lands voluntarily, war would be inevitable," said President Ilham Aliyev during a meeting with residents of the Badara, Dashbulag, Seyidbeyli, and Shushakand villages in the Khojaly district, APA reports.
"They thought that the great powers behind them - those who gave them weapons, money, and political support - would protect them forever. But they miscalculated our resolve. I told them many times: leave our lands of your own free will. Even after the Second Karabakh War, after our glorious Victory, after the liberation of Shusha, I told them there was no place for separatism in Azerbaijan. They should abide by Azerbaijan’s laws, accept Azerbaijani citizenship, and live here in peace. No one would ever object. Yet both their military and political provocations, their arrogance, and their negative attitude toward us continued. Therefore, the anti-terror operation of September 19–20 was a lesson for them and for everyone else. That operation, lasting only a few hours, completely eradicated the separatists, while those in whom they had placed their hopes remained silent. No one could stand against the Azerbaijani Army. No one could stand against the Azerbaijani people. Because we are right. And today, here once again, we are proving that we are right. They destroyed our cities and villages, but we are rebuilding and creating," the president emphasized.
