The 1992 Khojaly massacre constituted a “crime against humanity,” according to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
“We condemn the murder of our Azerbaijani brothers in Khojaly 31 years ago, and we once again honor our martyrs with mercy,” Cavusoglu stated in a tweet on the 31st anniversary of the horrific attack by Armenian forces that killed hundreds of Azerbaijani residents.
“We have not forgotten, and we will not forget, the crime against humanity committed in Khojaly,” he added, underlining that Turkey feels Azerbaijan’s grief.
In one of Armenia’s worst assaults against Azerbaijani civilians in the Karabakh region, more than 600 people were killed.
On February 26, 1992, Armenian soldiers took control the town of Khojaly after bombarding it with heavy artillery and tanks, aided by an infantry unit.
The Armenian attack murdered 613 Azerbaijanis, including 106 women and 63 children, and gravely injured 487 others in two hours.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry noted in a separate statement that the fate of those who went missing after the atrocity is still unknown.
According to Azerbaijani estimates, around 150 of the 1,275 Azerbaijanis kidnapped by Armenians are still missing.
“In our hearts, we still feel the agony of our Azerbaijani brothers who were slain at Khojaly 31 years ago. “We condemn this crime against humanity, which will be remembered as a terrible mark in history,” the ministry said.