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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Sept 23 2012
Azeris raise voice against Iran's Turkish education ban in Ankara
23 September 2012 / GÃ-ZDE NUR DONAT , ANKARA
Members of the Azeri-speaking population living in Turkey have
gathered in Ankara in order to raise their voices against Iran's
decades-old unlawful prohibition on Turkish education in schools, on
the grounds that the ban is unconstitutional and arbitrary.
A number of Azeri and Turkish associations marched from Ankara's
KuÄ?ulu Park Junction to the Iranian Embassy in Ankara, laying a black
wreath in front of the embassy to protest Iran's repressive policies
on Turkish education in schools. The protest was organized by the
Ankara-based `Güney Azerbaycan Milli Azatlık Cephesi' (South
Azerbaijan National Liberation Front), a group defending the cultural
rights of Iranian Turks on international platforms. A number of
Azeri-founded associations, Azeri students receiving education in
Turkey and Turkish people were also present at the protest.
The group asked Iran's mullah regime to lift its unfair restriction on
the Turkish language, as well as its other assimilationist policies
regarding the Azeri population in Iran, in a press briefing following
the protest. The group also stated that the Turkish language must
acquire official language status in Iran, as it is used by a
significant Azeri population of 35 million in the country.
The protest was uneventful, overseen by security forces, and ended
after the press conference.
The protest was the first of its kind against Iran's repressive
policies towards its significant Azeri population in the three decades
since the Iranian revolution, Karim Asghari, a member of the
International South Azerbaijani Turks National Council, a Turkey-based
umbrella organization for Azeri-speaking Turks, stated during an
exclusive interview with Today's Zaman.
`Turkey is a democratic state where the Azeri population being exposed
to Iran's oppression could maintain their rights very easily,'
maintained Zaur Bayramlı, press and public relations coordinator of
the council, expressing gratitude to Turkey.
Bayramlı also criticized Iran for applying an arbitrary ban on Turkish
language. `The principles stated in the 15th and 19th articles of the
Iranian constitution are very clear on equal treatment for all ethnic
groups and freedom of mother tongue in mass media and education.
However, even though some 200,000 Armenians are enjoying all those
freedoms in Iran, Turks have always been deprived of them,' Bayramlı
stated in an exclusive interview with Today's Zaman.
Having no right to press and education in their mother tongue, the
Azeri population has taught their children their language at home and
at some of their cultural associations. Recently, Iran has been said
to be aggravating the situation by arresting Azeri teachers.
In 1945, Iranian Azerbaijanis founded the independent Azerbaijan
People's Government, which existed for only one year under the
leadership of Sayyed Jafar Pishevari, with Tabriz as its capital.
From: Baghdasarian
Sept 23 2012
Azeris raise voice against Iran's Turkish education ban in Ankara
23 September 2012 / GÃ-ZDE NUR DONAT , ANKARA
Members of the Azeri-speaking population living in Turkey have
gathered in Ankara in order to raise their voices against Iran's
decades-old unlawful prohibition on Turkish education in schools, on
the grounds that the ban is unconstitutional and arbitrary.
A number of Azeri and Turkish associations marched from Ankara's
KuÄ?ulu Park Junction to the Iranian Embassy in Ankara, laying a black
wreath in front of the embassy to protest Iran's repressive policies
on Turkish education in schools. The protest was organized by the
Ankara-based `Güney Azerbaycan Milli Azatlık Cephesi' (South
Azerbaijan National Liberation Front), a group defending the cultural
rights of Iranian Turks on international platforms. A number of
Azeri-founded associations, Azeri students receiving education in
Turkey and Turkish people were also present at the protest.
The group asked Iran's mullah regime to lift its unfair restriction on
the Turkish language, as well as its other assimilationist policies
regarding the Azeri population in Iran, in a press briefing following
the protest. The group also stated that the Turkish language must
acquire official language status in Iran, as it is used by a
significant Azeri population of 35 million in the country.
The protest was uneventful, overseen by security forces, and ended
after the press conference.
The protest was the first of its kind against Iran's repressive
policies towards its significant Azeri population in the three decades
since the Iranian revolution, Karim Asghari, a member of the
International South Azerbaijani Turks National Council, a Turkey-based
umbrella organization for Azeri-speaking Turks, stated during an
exclusive interview with Today's Zaman.
`Turkey is a democratic state where the Azeri population being exposed
to Iran's oppression could maintain their rights very easily,'
maintained Zaur Bayramlı, press and public relations coordinator of
the council, expressing gratitude to Turkey.
Bayramlı also criticized Iran for applying an arbitrary ban on Turkish
language. `The principles stated in the 15th and 19th articles of the
Iranian constitution are very clear on equal treatment for all ethnic
groups and freedom of mother tongue in mass media and education.
However, even though some 200,000 Armenians are enjoying all those
freedoms in Iran, Turks have always been deprived of them,' Bayramlı
stated in an exclusive interview with Today's Zaman.
Having no right to press and education in their mother tongue, the
Azeri population has taught their children their language at home and
at some of their cultural associations. Recently, Iran has been said
to be aggravating the situation by arresting Azeri teachers.
In 1945, Iranian Azerbaijanis founded the independent Azerbaijan
People's Government, which existed for only one year under the
leadership of Sayyed Jafar Pishevari, with Tabriz as its capital.
From: Baghdasarian