ISTANBUL. – The Turkish press has published new details on the anti-Armenian demonstration, which was held in downtown Istanbul on February 26 and under the name of commemorating the Khojaly incidents. 

Members of a Facebook group called Genç Atsızlar had planned on organizing provocations during the anti-Armenian protests. They planned on attacking the local office of the Kurdish “Peace and Democracy Party” (BDP), Agos Armenian bilingual weekly’s office, and the Consulate of France. But the police were able to prevent these provocations and arrest the group’s forty-one members, five of whom were women. During the demonstration the group members had held signs that insulted the Armenians, Radikal daily of Turkey informs.          

The police are attempting to find the group’s leader and its financing sources.

It is also noted that the anti-Armenian demonstration was financed by the huge Azerbaijani businessman Mubariz Mansimov. In addition, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had sent ten advisors to Turkey, who had organized this protest together with ASIM-DER, the Azerbaijan-Turkish nationalist organization functioning in Turkey.  

To note, the Union of Socialist Azerbaijanis of Turkey member Rifat Abbaszade had stated that Azerbaijan spent US$ 2 million for the anti-Armenian demonstration held in Istanbul and devoted to the Khojaly incidents. And the Union of Socialist Azerbaijanis of Turkey had released a statement and noted that it is impermissible to make the Khojaly events become a tool and to use them with the intention of denying the Armenian tragedy in 1915.