SHALL
WESTERN AZERBAIJAN TURN INTO NORTHERN KURDISTAN?
One of the effects of the incorrect strategies conducted by
the Iranian Leaderships towards Turks that constitutes the
largest ethnic group in the country is gradually coming out.
The developments in Western Azerbaijan reveal that Iran
spoils itself.
After the Persian identity was artificially turned into an
ethnic identity in 1920’s and 1930’s, as expected, the
Movement of Persian Nationalism which is a sine qua non for
the formation of this identity has gained a momentum. The
Persianalism movement was created by the super power Britain
in early 1900’s to create a counter political and ethnic
identity against the Turkish states in the Middle East,
Caucasus and Central Asia. The fact that the Turkish
Independence War which started in 1919 in Anatolia was
successfully accomplished in 1923 is an indicator that this
strategy was relatively just. The Persian national identity
that was founded by Brits has been strictly adopted by the
Iranian governments who are not Turkish originated.
The Iranian Turks who accepted Islam were attracted by
Shiism as a reaction against the extreme Arab nationalism of
the Umayyad Dynasty. Shiism became widespread among the
Turks in the region since these Arabian groups were Shiite,
these Arabian communities were against the policies of the
Umayyad and they carried out propaganda activities in favor
of Shiism. The alliance in their beliefs still continues.
Until the recent days, Turks who constitute the crowded
ethnic element in Iran has been set up by expressing loyalty
to Persian Nationalist Administrations of Iran and other
ethnic elements. Unfortunately these regimes in Iran could
not appreciate this attitude of the Iranian Turks after the
Persian Nationalist leaderships took the power. That was
happened neither during the Shah’s period nor after the
Islamic Revolution.
Turks were exposed to a number of sneaky strategies during
the period of sovereignty of the artificial ethnic identity
that considers itself Persian. The aim of these policies was
obvious: “to weaken the power of Turks” because the Persian
leaderships were very well aware of the power and the
abilities of the Iranian Turks. This potential power turned
into paranoia due to the presence of the other Turkish
states.
After the proclamation of the Turkish Republic in 1923 and
re-independence of Azerbaijan in 1991 the pan-Persianist
policies of Iran gathered speed. As a practical means of the
strategy, the Iranian leaderships adopted a policy aiming at
separating the Turkish population from Turkey in West and
Azerbaijan in North by forming up a buffer zone. This policy
is very appropriate to adopt for the Turkish border. The
concerns regarding the presence of the only independent
state in the region, the Turkish Republic, were at the
highest level until the independence of Azerbaijan in 1991.
Within this context, the Kurdish originated terrorist acts
in Turkey were blessed by the Iranian leaderships. The
terrorists settled in the mountainous regions of Western
Azerbaijan which has a border with the East of Turkey were
also supported.
Meanwhile, the strategy of separating Turks with a “Kurdish
Buffer Zone” unceasingly continued. Our Western Azerbaijan
was exposed to an intense state made immigration strategy.
The number of Kurds in our region was rapidly increasing.
The Iranian Regimes caused this organized structure of the
Kurdish immigration movement. We, the residents of the
region, also made mistakes regarding this immigration
movement in Western Azerbaijan. We could not have enough
possession of these lands which are our homes and
fatherlands because we were really loyal to the Iranian
regime and have the Turkish tolerance that all other Turkish
communities have. We embraced the Kurdish people whom we
considered as our brothers. We did not realize what future
would bring and we could not be alert against this sneaky
plan.
Consequently, the Iranian policy of separating the power of
25 – 30 million Turkish people with the 3.5 – 4 million
Kurds and cutting off the ties of Turks with the Turkish
states around became successful in this regard. The number
of Kurdish population has relatively increased in Western
Azerbaijan.
During this period a number of changes have been seen in the
Middle East. The USA occupied Iraq in 2003. The major enemy
of Iran, the USA, became the neighbor of Iran. This new
neighbor with its negative intentions started to benefit
from the consequences of the Kurdish strategy of Iran – that
is, the increasing Kurdish population strategy of Iran. The
deployment of the USA in Northern Iraq and having a border
with Western Azerbaijan have designated new roles not only
for the Turks in the Iranian Islamic Republic but also for
the Kurds who are not loyal to the regime and government as
much as Turks. The PKK’s branch in Iran, PJAK, was formed in
2003. It has developed and procured weapons. It determined
its strategy and particularly in 2007, increased its
activities against the Revolutionary Guards Corps and the
Regular Army in a noteworthy way. It seems that the
terrorist organization which is also supported by the
Kurdish milieu in Western Azerbaijan causes trouble to the
Iranian Regime.
In addition to the demographic results of the dense Kurdish
migration supported by the leadership to disrupt our
national integrity by settling them among the Iranian Turks,
the political results of this strategy have also started to
be observed. The Kurdish groups possible encouraged by the
current status quo of the Middle East started to prepare
maps which show Urumiye, Khoy, Ghoushchu, Salmas, Sulduz,
Maku, Ghoshachay and Savajbulagh as evermore Kurdish lands.
These cities of our Western Azerbaijan which were never
belonged to Kurds throughout the Iranian history make Kurds
to dare to claim our lands due to the policies of the
Persian chauvinists.
The recent developments reveal how serious and grave the
situation is. After the Kurdish population in Urumiye has
gradually increased, Kurds had 3 members in the City
Council. One of these members, Khatije Mansuri made very
noteworthy statements during the Council meeting in
November. These statements also indicated the mass of
problems that Western Azerbaijan will face in the near
future. The ideas of Khatije Mansuri which are unscientific
and formed through the “Kurdism” perspective – the latest
ideological trend in fashion in the Middle East – call us to
be careful and alert.
Khatije Mansuri, in addition to her speech in the Council,
named Western Azerbaijan as “Northern Kurdistan” at the
December 1 dated issue of the biweekly Havar Magazine. She
dared to state that the name of “Western Azerbaijan” should
be changed and it would be proper to use the abovementioned
expression (Northern Kurdistan) instead of this and the
Turks living in Western Azerbaijan, Ilam and Karmanshah are
the “guests” of these lands. The ideological attitude of
Mansuri is identical with the PKK and PJAK. She uses the
same terminology with these terrorist organizations. The
statement of Mansuri is also identical with the statements
of the secessionist Kurdish terrorists. It is obvious that
the terrorist mechanism that the Turkish Republic has been
fought against for 20 years is working out in Iran now. The
role undertaken by Mansuri resembles the one that Kurdist
Leyla Zana has in Turkey.
The Iranian Leadership fell silent after the statements of
Mansuri. It is very clear that their long-lasting policy of
weakening the Iranian Turks by making use of Kurds is now
out of their control. It is another fact that the mentioned
strategy is beneficial to its enemies more than Iran itself.
The West, on the other hand, while planning to eliminate
Iran, started its job from Western Azerbaijan. It will not
be surprising if the PKK terrorists once supported by Iran
join the PJAK. It is cloudy for our region and it does not
seem to be sunny for a long time.
The Iranian Leadership should immediately try Khatije
Mansuri and expose the powers behind her. The Havar Magazine
should be closed. The Iranian regime that does not let our
brothers participate the commemoration activities of Settar
Khan remains silent for the situation. The abovementioned
situation in Western Azerbaijan aims at inciting not only
Turkish – Kurdish conflict but also a Sunnite – Shiite one.
However, the Iranian leadership is just watching that
sensitive and tense situation in Western Azerbaijan. The
only step taken by Iran is that the regime granted a special
status to the provinces having ethnic problems since it
believes that this is a good way to take them under control.
This threat infecting the Middle East quickly as cancer,
easily spread Iran due to the atmosphere caused by the
Iranian regimes. This situation facilitates the major
enemies of Iran. We, Turks, should possess our lands against
the externally supported audacity of the Kurds in Western
Azerbaijan. Otherwise, it is not too far to be homeless in
our homeland.
