Armenia’s Foreign Ministry

Armenia’s foreign ministry on Wednesday called fake claims of an “Azerbaijani Genocide” by Armenians in 1918 “hostile and unfounded narratives,” rejecting Baku’s assertions that such events took place.

Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry on Tuesday issued a statement calling for the recognition of the so-called “Azerbaijani Genocide.” Baku claimed that in March 1918 6,000 “armed units of Baku Soviet,” with the assistance of another 4,000 members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation carried out massacres against Azerbaijani ahead of the both Armenia and Azerbaijan declaring independence in May of that year.

Armenia’s foreign ministry spokesperson told Armenpress on Wednesday that such claims are part of “hostile and unfounded narratives” that have developed over decades of conflict and continue to be used in Azerbaijan, including at the state level.

“We hope that the peace established between Armenia and Azerbaijan will not only contribute to stable, peaceful coexistence and the development of good-neighborly relations between the two states and societies, but will also put an end to fabricated claims and eliminate hate speech,” she said.

The spokesperson also pointed to commitments made by the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, recalling an agreement reached in Washington. According to Badalyan, the declaration signed on August 8, 2025, includes a provision emphasizing the intention to close the chapter of hostility between the two peoples and to move toward building good-neighborly relations following years of conflict.

Badalyan underscored that advancing peace should go hand in hand with abandoning divisive rhetoric and fostering mutual understanding between the two societies.

Baku’s latest revision of history comes as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan last week said he had had “enough” of historical justice, adding that any pursuit of the principle was “anti-Armenian.”

Meanwhile Turkey Defense Ministry announced that it will not allow the “genocide committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis” to be forgotten.

“In those tragic days, which remain a black mark in history, Armenian armed groups mercilessly killed thousands of innocent Azerbaijanis. We have not forgotten the genocide committed against our brothers, we will not forget it, and we will not allow it to be forgotten. We honor the memory of our martyrs with gratitude and humility,” the Turkish defense ministry said in statement posted on its website.

—