Iranian Turkmens: "We consider the insult to Azeri people as done to us"

The Iranian Turkmens consider the insult to the Azeri people as done to them, the Turkmensahra Liberation Organization told APA. The statement reads that the caricature published on the Iran Daily, which is insulting the entire Azeri nation, has been purposefully prepared.

"As a matter of fact, the expressions in the article display the viewpoint of the chauvinistic Farsi dominance in Iran towards the Turks. Farsi chauvinists try everything possible to prevent the Iranian Turks learn and use their native tongue. However, these fools fail to realize that the policy of assimilation against people has long been defeated in Iran and ethnic groups have been trying to preserve their customs, languages and cultures more than ever. People have realized that Farsi chauvinism is behind these propaganda activities against religion and sects, and that their sole purpose is to wipe out their ethnic cultures and languages. Today, the developments in different parts of Iran indicate that ethnic groups are now ready to defend their identities, honors and the heritage of their ancestors," the statement reads.

The Turkmensahra Liberation Organization also states that mass protests staged by Azerbaijanis in Iran are not a temporary and spontaneous incident, triggered by the insults of a newspaper.

"Meanwhile, having reached genuine national awakening, the revolutionary people of Iranian Azerbaijan harshly reacted against the insults of the Iran Daily. Thousands flowed into the streets, bravely defending their honor and dignity, and organized a great and historical protest demonstration. As a matter of fact, this reaction is not a temporary and spontaneous incident, triggered by the insults of a newspaper. This situation has been an explosion of rage against the policy of humiliation constantly implemented by the media organs and administrations of Iran against ethnic groups for years. Iran is astonished and has lost itself against the great reaction of the Azeri people. They even decided to close down the Iran Daily and to arrest its editor-in-chief and the cartoonist. However, one cannot solve the problem of the Azeri Turks and other people in Iran simply by arresting a journalist and a cartoonist. The problem of the ethnic groups in Iran is the scornful and humiliating attitude of the Farsi chauvinism against other people, in the framework of the assimilation policy that has been maintained for long years. The accumulation of such reactions will soon destroy the dominant Farsi leadership.

We, as a part of the Turks in Iran, support the rightful reaction of the nation of Azerbaijan. We consider the insult to the Azeri people as done to us. We declare that we are by the side of the courageous people of Azerbaijan. We warn the dominant Farsi regime that as long as they maintain cultural assimilation, oppression and forceful confiscation of people's fatherland, they will encounter with uncontrollable events of much greater scale in Turkmensahra soon as it was the case in history," the statement concludes.