13:57, 20 December 2025

30 Azerbaijani families returned to Khankendi

The first group of Azerbaijani displaced persons (IDPs) returned to the village of Karkijahan, the former capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, today.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," the village of Karkijahan (Armenian name - Kirkijan) is considered a microdistrict of Khankendi (Armenian name - Stepanakert), Jasur Sumerinli, head of the Azerbaijani Center for Caspian Military Studies, told the "Caucasian Knot" in September 2023. "From here, the city is visible at a glance," he explained.

Azerbaijanis from Karabakh settlements were forced to leave their homes after the start of the First Karabakh War. The return of IDPs began after Azerbaijan took control of these territories. On November 10, 2023, Azerbaijani authorities announced plans to resettle 140,000 people in Karabakh by 2026.

Today, December 20, the first group of residents departed for the Karkijahan settlement of Khankendi, Report reports.

These are families who were temporarily resettled in various regions of Azerbaijan, primarily in dormitories, sanatoriums, and administrative buildings, the publication says.

Today, 30 families (115 people) moved to the Karkijahan settlement, APA reports.

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in a lyceum dormitory in Baku complained about their living conditions. More than 30 families from the Zangelan and Jabrayil districts were housed in the building. Aziz Karimov's photo essay, "Dormitory for internally displaced persons from the Karabakh conflict zone in Baku," was published on the "Caucasian Knot."

As a reminder, on September 19-20, 2023, Azerbaijan launched large-scale military operations and took control of Nagorno-Karabakh, which began a mass exodus of the Armenian population. By October 7, 2023, 100,632 internally displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh had arrived in Armenia, and by September 2024, only 14 Armenians remained in the region. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report "The Beginning and End of the Unrecognized Republic of Artsakh".

By August 2024, 2,036 families (7,901 people) of internally displaced persons (IDPs) had returned to the territories of Karabakh that had come under Baku's control.

Azerbaijani IDPs complained about the difficulties of returning to Karabakh. In particular, they noted a shortage of jobs in Fuzuli. People are seeking opportunities to return to their homelands, but in the territories under Azerbaijani control, property issues have not yet been resolved, IDPs noted.

Azerbaijani analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" pointed out that simply providing housing for IDPs returning to their cities is not enough. The authorities must create jobs and build infrastructure, they emphasized.

Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/419258