Azerbaijan’s “Western Azerbaijan” Festival Raises Concerns Over Territorial Claims Against Armenia

A festival in Baku titled “The Heritage of Western Azerbaijan: Return to Historical Roots” has drawn renewed attention to Azerbaijan’s promotion of the controversial concept of “Western Azerbaijan,” a term used by Azerbaijani officials to refer to the territory of present-day sovereign Armenia.

According to Azerbaijani affairs expert Tatevik Hayrapetyan, the event shows what she describes as a growing state-backed campaign that goes beyond historical narratives and increasingly advances territorial claims against Armenia.

The festival, reportedly held under the patronage of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, brought together lawmakers, local officials, and public figures. Images from the event showed participants celebrating beneath maps that included the internationally recognized territory of the Republic of Armenia as part of what Azerbaijan calls “Western Azerbaijan.”

Hayrapetyan argues that the concept, which has become increasingly prominent in Azerbaijani official discourse since late 2022, represents more than a cultural or historical initiative.

“Azerbaijan is not only advancing a dangerous territorial agenda but also conducting a moral and psychological campaign against Armenia,” she wrote, pointing to a recent gathering in Nakhichevan where participants reportedly referred to Armenia as their “homeland” and used video links to Yerevan while describing the Armenian capital as Azerbaijani land.

The issue has also been elevated by senior Azerbaijani officials. During a recent event, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Science and Education, Emin Amrullayev, described the “Western Azerbaijan” issue as having “strategic importance,” a statement Hayrapetyan interprets as evidence that the concept has become embedded in Azerbaijan’s long-term state policy.

The “Western Azerbaijan” narrative has become a recurring element of official rhetoric in Azerbaijan following the end of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. Critics argue that the initiative seeks to normalize claims over Armenian territory and foster revisionist interpretations of regional history.

Supporters of the concept, meanwhile, present it as an effort to preserve the heritage and memory of Azerbaijanis who once lived in what is now Armenia and advocate for what they describe as a peaceful return in accordance with international law.

Hayrapetyan contends that Armenia’s political leadership has failed to adequately challenge the narrative on diplomatic and informational fronts, warning that the continued promotion of the doctrine could have serious consequences for regional stability.

“The message is being repeated every day,” she wrote. “An expansionist doctrine directed against the Republic of Armenia is being developed and promoted, yet there is no effective response to counter it.”

The debate over “Western Azerbaijan” has become one of the most contentious issues in Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, with Armenian officials and analysts viewing the concept as a territorial claim against Armenia’s sovereignty, while Azerbaijani officials continue to frame it as a question of historical justice and return.

—

Support independent reporting from the region by subscribing to The Armenian Report. Our team is funded solely by readers like you.