An international symposium titled “Unrelenting Pain: Hocalı Genocide” international symposium was organized. In the symposium, the place of the Hocalı Massacre, which was carried out by Armenian forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in 1992, in the history of humanity, its international law dimension and its effects on the relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan were discussed.

Making the opening speeches, Dean Prof. Dr. Musa Atar said, “The conscience mechanism of the West has not worked when it comes to Turks. Despite these bitter realities, our country has lagged behind in commemorating and reminding this. In order not to experience these pains again, we need to have technological tools and equipment and maintain our independence.” He thanked the guests and started the symposium.

The moderator of the symposium was Prof. Dr. Çetin Elmas, Faculty Member of Electrical and Electronics Engineering of our Faculty. “The genocide in Khojaly is a crime committed not only against the Turkish nation but also against the world. We have not forgotten Hocalı, we will not forget.” He started his speeches by introducing the guests. 

Azerbaijan MP Dr. Tenzile Rustemkhanli said, “The Hocalı issue is one of the most painful days of Azerbaijani Turks and the Turkish world. This genocide, in which Turks were subjected to ethnic cleansing just because they were Turks, because of their identity, was carried out in front of the eyes of the world. The Turkish nation has never committed genocide in history.” He ended his speech by saying “I am a Happy Turk”.

Azerbaijani MP Sabina Salmanova said: “President Erdogan said: ‘We will not forget the Hocalı massacre’ and President Aliyev said that a victorious victory had been won. We want the murders committed by Armenians against the Azerbaijani people to be recognized as genocide in the international arena before the law and we are fighting for this. Long live the Turkic world.”

Melahat Gurbanova, President of the Turkish Thought Center, said that Khojaly was a genocide not only for Azerbaijan and the Turkish people, but also for the world humanity and that there was an inhuman cruelty. 

Historian Prof. Dr. Kemal Çiçek, discussing the Hocalı Genocide from historical aspects, said: “Armenia's territory looks different from Turkey and different from the world. As if Azerbaijan has occupied Armenia(!). Karabakh lands were the first settlements of Turks. Russia created an Armenian republic out of nothing. The Russians have built a long-term project to Armenianize these lands.”

Azerbaijan Press Council Board Member Agil Alesger said: “When a nation is subjected to genocide three times in one century, it shows that its social memory is weak. We need to keep our social memory alive. Hocalı Genocide should not be erased from the collective memory of the Turkic world.” and made the last speech of the symposium. 

With the contributions of experts in the field; In the event attended by Dr. Süleyman Basa, President of the Turkish Internet and Media Union (TIMBIR), Muhammet Kaçar, General Manager of Birlik News Agency (BHA), Orhan Kemal Erkılıç, Editor-in-Chief of BHA, it was emphasized that the Hocalı Genocide should not be forgotten and should be brought to the agenda more before the international community.

Unrelenting Pain: Hocalı Genocide Symposium ended with the presentation of plaques to the guests.