Turkey commemorates March 31 Genocide of Azerbaijanis

The Ministry of National Defense of Turkey has released an official statement on its X social media account to commemorate March 31 – the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis.

According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the ministry's statement emphasized the gravity of the historical atrocities committed against the Azerbaijani people. "On these painful days, which remain a black stain on history, thousands of innocent Azerbaijanis were brutally murdered by Armenian armed groups," the statement read. The ministry further affirmed the enduring bond between the two nations, stating: "We have not forgotten, we will not forget, and we will not let the world forget the genocide committed against our brothers! We remember our martyrs with mercy, gratitude, and respect."

The March 31 genocide refers to a series of massacres carried out in 1918 by Bolshevik-Dashnak Armenian armed groups against Azerbaijanis in Baku, Shamakhi, Guba, and other regions. Historical records indicate that tens of thousands of civilians were killed due to their ethnicity and religion during this period. In 1998, a decree signed by National Leader Heydar Aliyev officially declared March 31 as the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis to ensure that these tragic events receive proper political and legal assessment and remain in the national memory of Azerbaijan.