Khojaly massacre remembered by thousands of turks and Azerbaijanis

Tens of thousands of Turks and Azerbaijanis overflowed from Istanbul's central Taksim Square in Istanbul yesterday to mark the 20th anniversary of Khojaly massacre which occurred two decades ago. The mass protest was by far the largest to have been staged outside Azerbaijan to remember 613 civilians who were killed in Khojaly, Azerbaijan, by Armenians. The protests condemning the violence and bloodshed in Khojaly were also organized in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Azerbaijan, the Netherlands and the US. Speaking at the rally in Istanbul, Interior Minister Idris Sahin reiterated that hundreds of innocent people, including women, children and elderly, were killed in Khojaly. "This bloodshed will not remain unpunished," Sahin said. Speaking in his part, Azerbaijani Parliament member Sabir Rustemhanli thanked the Turkish people for supporting them. "The Turkish nation is now putting forth its will in order to tell the world about this genocide. This rally is the evidence of solidarity between Turkey and Azerbaijan," Rustemhanli said.