Uzbek poetesses send letter to President Ilham Aliyev

Uzbek poetesses sent a letter to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

The letter reads:

“His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Your Excellency,

We, as Uzbek poetesses, appeal to you regarding the ongoing military operations in Azerbaijan and offer our condolences to those who lost their lives.

We know that Azerbaijan is waging a Patriotic War to liberate its territories from the 30-year-long Armenian occupation and ensure the implementation of the requirements of the four UN resolutions on the conflict settlement. It is well known to us from history that the Karabakh region has always been a Turkic land, all historical sources, documents, and monuments confirm this fact once again.

How can it be that everyone is interested in the rights and future fate of about 80,000 Armenians in Karabakh but no one is interested in and talks about the past, present, or future lives of over one million Azerbaijanis who are eternal residents of these lands and were expelled from their homes in the wake of the ethnic cleansing.

Recently, we have been witnessing again the lack of justice and international law in this world. Who will compensate for the 27 years of suffering and hardships of the people who were expelled from those lands?

We were disappointed and horrified when we watched the images of Jabrayil district, which was liberated from occupation. It has become a complete ruin - an area with all its infrastructure destroyed. This district was located on the Great Silk Road, and the historic Khudafarin Bridge here has been a cultural and trade link between our peoples for centuries. Today, the whole world should know that for 27 years, Armenians, disrespecting all rights and foolishly calling it a security zone, have been keeping the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts under occupation. However, 97 percent of the population of these districts were local Azerbaijanis. What law, logic, and international law does this fit into? These negotiations have been conducted by the tolerant, peace-loving people of Azerbaijan for 27 years, and we have all seen their results.

The war is going on with its all horrors on the soil of Azerbaijan. It is Azerbaijan, the cities of which are being destroyed, on the territory of which heavy military equipment is moving and where the mornings open with the sound of gunshots. Not a single bullet is fired, and blood is not spilled on the territory of Armenia. That's why the occupying side continues to attack the civilian population confidently and hypocritically.

After the signing of a ceasefire agreement, we were deeply shocked and outraged by the two missile attacks carried out against the civilian population of Ganja, which is located 100 kilometers away from the zone of hostilities, which is the birthplace of genius Nizami Ganjavi and a cradle of culture. The criminals who were not fed up with the bloodshed in Khojaly, the cries of children and mothers, also targeted peaceful Ganja. This is an unacceptable event in the civilized world and a crime against humanity.

We believe that the occupation must end, peaceful Azerbaijanis, who were expelled from their homeland, subjected to ethnic cleansing and genocide, must return to their native lands. This conflict, which has been going on for 30 years, has affected the region and the people and destroyed the lives and dreams of hundreds of thousands of people.

We, as poetesses, use this opportunity to appeal to all mothers and advanced-thinking people around the entire world. We - mothers - always want and should want peace. But lasting and everlasting peace. We want this peace to be ensured not at the cost of the occupation of our homelands, houses, monuments, and graves but under international law and the principles of territorial integrity.

We, as every intellectual and ordinary citizen of Turkic countries and the Turkic world, stand by you, Azerbaijan, which upholds the right and justice.

From now on, we all are from Karabakh. Our hearts are always with you, with Azerbaijan. Motherland is a mother, who is sacred to us.

Dear Mr. President, may Allah bless you and those who seek justice in the struggle for the liberation of your lands to the last inch! Karabakh is Azerbaijan, and an exclamation mark!”

With deep respect and esteem,

Dilbar Heydarova, poetess, member of the Writers Union of Uzbekistan

Gulbahor Ashurova, professor, poetess

Dildora Hasanova, journalist, chief editor and host of the “Sources Talk” program aired on the Uzbekistan State Television

Uktamoy Khaldarova, poetess, translator

Gulnora Shininova, poetess, member of the Writers Union of Uzbekistan

Kutlibeka Rahimboeva, poetess, member of the Writers Union of Uzbekistan

Sharifa Salimova, poetess, member of the Writers Union of Uzbekistan

Zulfiya Muminova, poetess, member of the Writers Union of Uzbekistan

Nazira Salomova, poetess, member of the Writers Union of Uzbekistan

Sayyora Tuychieva, poetess, member of the Writers Union of Uzbekistan

Hulkar Hamroeva, poetess, member of the Writers Union of Uzbekistan

Zebo Mirzoyeva, poetess, member of the Writers Union of Uzbekistan

Zahra Hasanova, poetess, member of the Writers Union of Uzbekistan,

Farogat Khudoygulova, poetess, member of the Writers Union of Uzbekistan

Guljamol Asgarova, poetess, member of the Writers Union of Uzbekistan

Zilola Khojaniyozova, poetess, member of the Writers Union of Uzbekistan

Mahfuza Imomova, poetess, member of the Writers Union of Uzbekistan

Shakhlo Gasimova, poetess, translator

Khamrogul Ashurova, poetess

Mavzhuda Rajabova, peotess

Tashkent, the Republic of Uzbekistan