Following the first panel of the international conference on “Khojaly Genocide, crimes against humanity and terrorism” the second panel on the topic of “Crimes Against Humanity, Genocide, Terrorism and their Interrelations” was held.
The panel moderated by Prof. Hasan Ali Karasar, Professor of the International Relations Department of the Atılım University, continued with the speeches of Prof. Emre Öktem, Professor of the Faculty of Law of the Galatasaray University; Prof. Hasan Köni, Professor of the Faculty of Law of the Istanbul Kültür University; Prof. Taşansu Türker, Director of Research Centre for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies of Ankara University; Dr. Zaur Aliyev, Lecturer of the Faculty of Law of the Baku State University; and Assoc. Prof. Haldun Yalçınkaya, Professor of the Political Sciences and International Relations Department of the TOBB University.
At the second panel, the speakers discussed the relations between the concepts of crimes against humanity, genocide and terrorism, with a particular reference to their similarities and differences.
The moderator Prof. Hasan Ali Karasar reiterated that there are a lot of documents and materials which prove Khojaly tragedy to be a genocide.
Prof. Emre Öktem said that in order to make legal mechanisms persistent, it is important to increase the number of appeals to the European Human Rights Court.
Prof. Hasan Köni stressed that Armenians made an ethnic cleansing in the territories of Azerbaijan. That’s why Azerbaijan can judge Armenians who committed these crimes.
Assoc. Prof. Haldun Yalçınkaya stated that nowadays the world is facing the atrocities and terror; however Azerbaijanis experienced this terror already in 1992 in Khojaly.
Dr. Zaur Aliyev maintained that Khojaly massacre meets the definition of the genocide, and the UN Security Council should establish international tribunal which will bring the murderers to the justice.
The last speaker, Prof. Taşansu Türker, said that it is important to work together in proclaiming the truth about Khojaly genocide to the international arena.
The participant of the Conference Prof. Hüseyin Bağcı underlined the importance of informing the students in Turkey about the tragedy committed in Khojaly and expressed that public diplomacy would play an important role in this respect.
At the end of the speeches, the speakers answered questions posed by the participants of the Conference.