Aghstafa, February 21, AZERTAC

The Azerbaijanis, the indigenous inhabitants of Yengija village in the Vedibasar district of Western Azerbaijan, through which the Vedi-Chai River flows, have faced repeated deportations at the hands of Armenians. Subjected to pressure, oppression, and forced exile, they endured immense hardships. Bilal Abbasov, 84, born and raised in Yengija, witnessed the horrors of ethnic cleansing and deportation twice in his lifetime.

In an interview with AZERTAC, Bilal Abbasov recalled the injustice his family endured, echoing the suffering of his parents during the deportations of 1918-1921.

"My mother told me that in 1919, Armenians attacked Yengija, where Azerbaijanis lived. They set fire to homes and the village mosque with people trapped inside. Later, between 1948 and 1953, the Azerbaijani population was deported again, and expatriate Armenians were settled in their homes. Families were forcibly displaced to Aghstafa, Barda, Salyan, and other regions of Azerbaijan. Many could not survive the ordeal," he said.

Bilal Baba described Armenian efforts to erase traces of Azerbaijani presence in Western Azerbaijan. "Some of the evicted villages were completely wiped out—Azizkend, Manguk, Kolanli, Baghchajig, to name a few. The cemetery of Yengija was originally located between our village and Karalar. In 1950, Armenians destroyed part of this cemetery and planted apple orchards belonging to the Karalar collective farm. They plowed over graves at night. My cousin’s grave was among them. Later, the villagers were forced to create a new cemetery outside the village."

He also recounted how an ancient Azerbaijani cemetery on the hills near Yengija, believed to belong to the Oghuz people, was desecrated, and a chicken farm was built in its place. Another historic cemetery in the Vedi district was destroyed under the pretext of road construction.

Speaking about Armenian hostility toward Azerbaijanis, Bilal Abbasov stated: "Before the last deportation, there were 120 Azerbaijani households in Yengija. The Armenians living in our village were resettled there from abroad. When we were children, we used to help a disabled Armenian fetch water. He once warned us, 'You should leave this place, or you will all be killed.' Years later, his son became one of the Dashnaks who attacked our village."

He emphasized that Armenians systematically removed Azerbaijanis from all spheres of life. "Our compatriots were denied jobs. Even those with higher education remained unemployed. Most Azerbaijanis in Yengija had no choice but to work as laborers on Armenian-led collective farms. Between 1966 and 1970, some were forced to leave the village due to these hardships. I worked in the power grid, where Armenians discriminated against us. I eventually had to quit. Even in hospitals, Azerbaijani patients were neglected."

Despite these injustices, the people of Yengija remained deeply attached to their homeland, cherishing its beauty, traditions, and sense of community.

However, tensions escalated in March 1988, leading to the final expulsion of Azerbaijanis. "The Armenian neighbors we once fed and helped turned hostile," Bilal Baba recalled. "They collected money to arm the Dashnaks. We took turns guarding our homes, sleeping only 1-2 hours a night. One day, masked Armenians stormed the village, throwing stones at houses, setting them on fire, and cutting down fruit trees. They brutally beat five villagers, including two women, who refused to leave their homes."

Expressing confidence in the future, Bilal Baba stated: "The oppression and injustice Azerbaijanis have suffered will not last forever. Our occupied lands have been liberated, thanks to the intelligence and successful policies of President Ilham Aliyev, our Victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief. I firmly believe that the President’s efforts to ensure the return of Western Azerbaijanis to their ancestral lands will succeed. Justice will prevail."