AZE.US
Residents of Baku were asked whether Azerbaijanis would be ready to return to Armenia, live in Yerevan and even buy property there, as the issue again stirred debate in Armenian society.
The discussion followed claims circulating in Armenia that up to 300,000 Azerbaijanis could return to Yerevan. The reports triggered alarm among some Armenian commentators and political figures.
The topic gained more attention after a rally held in Yerevan by Russian businessman Samvel Karapetyan, where an audio recording in Azerbaijani was reportedly played. The recording described the story of an Azerbaijani family that had moved to Yerevan, bought an apartment and settled in the city.
Asked by Musavat TV journalists whether they would consider living in Yerevan, Baku residents gave sharply different answers.
Some said they viewed Yerevan as part of Azerbaijanis’ historical memory and supported the idea of return.
“Yerevan is our land. Just as people returned to Lachin and Shusha, those who came from Yerevan should also return,” one man said.
Another respondent said Azerbaijanis should not treat the idea of going back as impossible.
“These are our ancestral lands. Why should we not return and live there?” he said.
Others were far more cautious. Several people said they did not want to leave Azerbaijan, even in theory.
“I do not want to live anywhere except Azerbaijan,” one woman said.
Another respondent dismissed talk of a mass return as political theater. He said neither Azerbaijanis who left Armenia nor Armenians who left Karabakh were likely to return in large numbers under current conditions.
“This has reached a point where it is no longer realistic. They ask Armenians too: would you go and live in Azerbaijan? It is not possible,” he said.
Some linked the issue to Armenia’s domestic politics. One man said a victory by revanchist forces in Armenia could again raise tensions in the region.
“If Pashinyan does not win, if the revanchists win, Russia will push them against us again. That is why I want Pashinyan to win,” he said.
Several respondents said Armenian anxiety over the issue was understandable, especially after the 44-day war. In their view, the balance of power in the region has changed, and statements about return are now taken seriously in Armenia.
“They saw what our army and our policy are capable of. That is why they are worried,” one resident said.
The street survey showed that the question of Yerevan remains emotional for many Azerbaijanis. Some speak of a right to return, others call the prospect unrealistic, but the issue has clearly become part of the wider conversation about the future of Azerbaijan-Armenia relations.
AZE.US