Emotional Letter from Children Who are Witnesses of Khojaly Massacre

Ankara, Turkey, February 26, 2015 (Newswire.com) - On February 21, 2015 at Ankara Chamber of Commerce’s Congresium, the organization recognized the letter of Günel, who is an imaginary child representing children in town and evoked deep emotional feelings to the participants.

Günel articulated the feelings and sentiments of the nation from February 26th 1992 until today in the letter written in the language of the children living in the town of Khojaly located in Nagorno Karabagh. In the letter, describes the vivid experiences of that fateful day through the eyes of a child, Günel who said, “Armenians have considered our home as their home, our path as their path, our garden as their garden,” Günel asks as a child that cannot understand worldly ideologies. "How does a person do this to another person for the sake of these ideologies," questions the child. Günel is represents tens of children like her, who no longer have a father. She asks the questions while was running away from her place of birth, holding a rag doll with one hand and palm of mother’s hand with the other.

"Armenians have considered our home as their home, our path as their path, our garden as their garden..."

Günel, From Khojaly

The letter that is the voice of hundreds of Azeri children who have been attested and affected from massacre is as follows:

My name is Günel. Günel from Karabakh...

My family gave me this name so that I would be as bright as the sun. But I couldn’t. One day, the darkness fell upon us and I was not able to shine. Armenians settled in our houses, walked in our streets, played in our gardens.

Was it that easy to be kicked out of our homeland? What did we do to Armenians? I asked. I repeatedly asked. I was asking while we were running away from Armenians with my rag doll in one hand, and my mother’s palms in the other. And I am still asking today.

I tried to find an answer in my memories. I remember there were other victims. My grandfather used to tell me.

Once upon a time, there was a great Ottoman Empire. Just like in tales, Armenians and other societies were leading a free and happy life within that empire. But one day they started to act under the delusion of founding the “Great Armenia”. That’s where it all began. They triggered revolts and even assassinated the ruler of the country. They claimed that they experienced a similar tragedy because of the Ottomans. But it wasn’t true. The Ottoman Empire resettled the Armenians, who were involved in those events, in favorable and safer areas.

While my grandfather was telling those things, I asked:

“Why would a nation give such harm to their country where they can live freely?”

My grandfather said, “because of their Greater Armenia ideology”.

My child’s mind could not understand this answer that day. I didn’t know what an ideology is. Now I can see. Ideology meant “me and the other.” Ideology meant leaving many dead relatives behind. Most sadly, it meant never seeing my father again.

I was not the only one facing all that sorrow and pain. For “Greater Armenia”, many Turkish diplomats were assassinated by the terrorist organization ASALA. Armenian terrorism killed mothers, fathers and children from many Turkish families. The entire world witnessed another massacre in Khojaly. Actually, one nation two states inherited a common tragedy.

I am Günel from Karabakh. Karabakh constituted one fifth of Azerbaijan, like a finger of one hand. They ripped it off from us. I am Günel, the heartsick girl who was expatriated from her hometown Karabakh. Now I am asking once again. How would a human do that to another?

For info watch (Turkish ) video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG3p50o0ark

2011 Eurovision winner Azerbaijani artist Nigar Jamal, has been performed her fascinating song named as “Broken Dreams” which she sang in Empathy 2015 organization in the photograph and video show using  3D Mapping and Projection Mapping technologies that are used in a few of important award ceremony broadcastings such as Grammy, Billboard and Eurovision in the World.

In the night that Head of the Centre for Development of Human Capital INDEX Reşad Abdullayev has been did the honour, many walks from statesmen of the two countries to their bureaucrats, from academicians to artists have been congregated.

The video will be shared all around the world #empathyforKhojaly hashtag!

Nigar Jamal​ Broken Dreams

You can watch this video from the following link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vz1p7MfklE

#empathyforKhojaly

About INDEX

The organisation was established in 2013 as the association of Azerbaijan Education, Culture and Assistance in order to enable Azerbaijani students to contribute to the interests and the future of Azerbaijan. INDEX aims to assist the young to improve themselves and support the personal career development of Azerbaijani students who studied abroad, especially in Turkey. The organization supports students in increasing their knowledge and skills. To date, it has been a development centre of human capital that has been operating under the new name.

The centre which has been operating since September 27, 2013 under the name of INDEX will continue to provide direction of rallying international support and fostering relationships in partnership with working principles of global companies of civil servants in the Republic of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani students who study abroad. For more information please visit http://www.indexaz.org

Media Contact:

Beste Tunçer Birişçi
PPR İLETİŞİM
[email protected]
+90 212 275 5915