Long-Displaced Azerbaijanis Yearn to Return to Reclaimed Territory, but Challenges Remain

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In his early years as a dentist, Nazim Valiyev was compelled to abandon his home due to escalating ethnic strife in a separatist enclave within Azerbaijan. Now, three decades later and with his dentistry career behind him following a stroke, the 60-year-old aspires to go back to his homeland, particularly since it has reverted to Azerbaijani governance.

However, the realization of his dream may yet be years away.

Valiyev is one of an estimated 700,000 Azerbaijanis who were either expelled or fled from the area they refer to as Karabakh, a region that saw the eruption of violent conflict in 1988, eventually escalating into full-blown war.

The initial conflict concluded in 1994, leaving the region under the dominion of ethnic Armenian forces backed by their adjacent country. A subsequent military engagement in 2020 saw Azerbaijan reclaim much of the territory, and a swift military campaign last month compelled the Armenian separatists to cede what remained of the area, internationally recognized as Nagorno-Karabakh.

Soon after the Armenian surrender, waves of ethnic Armenians exited the area, reducing its population drastically. A United Nations mission that surveyed the area in early October indicated that the population may have dwindled to as few as 1,000, a stark contrast to the 120,000 residents just a month earlier.

This rapid turn of events invigorated the spirits of those who had been displaced years ago and who longed to revisit the region’s lush forests and towering mountains.

Bahar Aliguleyeva, recalling her youthful days in the capital city of Karabakh, Khankendi—known as Stepanakert to Armenians—stated, “The news that Azerbaijan had regained control over the city I had left in 1988 was initially hard to believe. It felt as though I was suspended between the past and the present, yet it opened up a pathway to happiness.”

Valiyev, the former dentist, contemplates his return daily but acknowledges the complexities involved. “I understand that repatriation will not occur swiftly,” he said.

In 2022, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev initiated a program called “The Great Return to Azerbaijan’s Liberated Territories,” aimed at the resettlement of the displaced. The plan outlines infrastructural development, residential construction, and meticulous, unhurried efforts to demine the region.

This year, Azerbaijan has allocated approximately $3.1 billion for reconstruction endeavors in the territory. According to Fuad Huseynov of the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, only around 2,000 have returned so far, but the objective is to repatriate 10,000 individuals by year’s end, and 150,000 by 2027.

“Landmines present a significant barrier,” Huseynov stated. “Areas that had been under Armenian control for three decades were not only virtually decimated but were also laced with explosives and other unexploded ordnance.” Since the 2020 conflict, landmines and other explosives have killed at least 65 people and injured another 267 in areas formerly controlled by Armenians, as reported by Azerbaijan’s Mine Action Agency.

If Aliguleyeva, Valiyev, and other displaced residents manage to return, they may face emotionally challenging discoveries. Aliguleyeva is uncertain if her childhood residence still stands, and Valiyev’s family home was incinerated in 1988, although a separate structure housing his dental equipment remained intact. Both, however, are eager to return.

Valiyev expressed, “My granddaughter, who is five, loves hearing about my Karabakh childhood and wishes to grow up there as well. We and the Armenians need to commence a new chapter, no matter the challenges. Lifelong hostility must be left behind.”

However, surmounting the long-standing enmity could be even more challenging than the reconstruction of war-ravaged structures. Both Valiyev and Aliguleyeva recount amicable relations with Armenian neighbors in the past but also remember the fear that ethnic violence instilled in them.

Azerbaijan has consistently assured that the rights of ethnic Armenians choosing to remain in the area will be upheld. Nevertheless, Human Rights Watch warns that these promises may be hard to take at face value, given the prolonged periods of severe hardships, decades of hostilities, and a worsening human rights situation in Azerbaijan.

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Contributed by Jim Heintz in Tallinn, Estonia.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Displaced Azerbaijanis

More about Displaced Azerbaijanis

• Azerbaijan Government’s Resettlement Program
• Human Rights Watch Report on Azerbaijan
• United Nations Mission in Karabakh
• Azerbaijan’s Mine Action Agency
• Background on Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
• State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
• Azerbaijan’s Budget Allocation for Reconstruction
• Ethnic Tensions in Karabakh
• Overview of Azerbaijan-Armenia Wars