Aliyev Renews Demand of Mass Azerbaijani Return to Armenia Ahead of Pashinyan’s Visit to Ankara

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has repeated an old demand: that Armenia must accept the return of what he calls “hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis” to Armenian territory. While not new, this demand carries dangerous meaning—especially in the context of growing concerns about possible concessions from Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who is expected to visit Ankara on June 20 at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Aliyev made his latest remarks during the International Symposium of Ombudsmen in Baku, declaring: “Armenia must respect the right of Azerbaijanis to return to their ancestral lands. This is an essential condition for the establishment of peace, reconciliation, and human rights in the region.”

By referring to most of Armenia as “ancestral Azerbaijani land,” Aliyev is not just talking about return—he is laying claim to Armenian territory. This statement adds fuel to a dangerous narrative that threatens Armenian sovereignty.

It is impossible to separate these words from Aliyev’s past actions. After the 44-day war in 2020, Azerbaijan launched a full-scale war against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in 2023, during an Azerbaijani-led blockade, where virtually the entire Armenian population was forced to leave their homes behind. Thousands were killed, many more injured, and entire villages were wiped out. The world watched as Artsakh was emptied of its Armenian population, now exiled in their own country.

Now, while those refugees from Artsakh are still rebuilding their lives, Aliyev demands that Armenia allow Azerbaijani citizens to move into Armenian towns and villages that he claims to be Azerbaijani including the province of Syunik as a whole. 

Some Armenian officials have already made concerning comments that seem to accept Aliyev’s demands. National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan recently suggested that after a peace deal, just as Armenians would be able to live in Baku, Azerbaijanis could return to their old villages in Armenia.

Aliyev’s words are timed carefully, just days before Pashinyan is scheduled to travel to Ankara, where many fear an unequal deal may be struck under pressure from Turkey and Azerbaijan.

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