Scientists appealed to Pezeshkian on the issue of educating Azerbaijanis in their native language in Iran

Scientists of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) have addressed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

BAKU.WS presents the text of the appeal:

"First of all, we, the representatives of ANAS, express our deep respect to You.

Your conversations in the Azerbaijani language during meetings with the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, as well as during Your visits to Baku, Shusha and Khankendi, contribute to establishing more sincere interstate relations, once again strengthen respect for the Iranian state and create broad opportunities for strengthening mutual trust.

Taking all this into account, we consider it necessary and important to address You on the issue of realizing the rights of the Azerbaijani people, who constitute a significant part of the population of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Dear Mr. President!

Indigenous Azerbaijanis living in Iran are making efforts and putting forward initiatives aimed at obtaining education in their native language in secondary and higher educational institutions, as well as developing the press and literature in their native language. However, their legitimate rights in this sphere have not yet been realized. Naturally, this causes serious concern among Iranian Azerbaijanis. After all, today there are very few peoples in the world who are deprived of the opportunity to read and write in their native language. We also believe that, like other peoples of the world, indigenous Azerbaijanis living in Iran should be guaranteed the right to receive education in their native language.

In this regard, Your speeches in the Azerbaijani language at events held in the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as during Your visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan, including the expressive recitation from memory of excerpts from the famous poem "Heydar Babaya Salam" by the great Azerbaijani and Iranian poet Muhammad Husein Shahriyar and the citing of instructive examples, receive great approval from the people both in Iran and in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

At the same time, communicating in the native language with representatives of various peoples, including Azerbaijanis, in different regions of the Islamic Republic of Iran contributes to strengthening the respect and reverence felt toward You as head of state.

Dear Mr. President!

The fair assessment You have given to the friendly relations and good-neighborly policy pursued by the Azerbaijani state under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, in recent years, at fateful moments for the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a clear testament to Your objectivity as head of state.

Taking all of the above into account, we believe that You will take measures at the state level to ensure the opportunity for Iranian Azerbaijanis to receive education in their native Azerbaijani language, thereby helping to fulfill their centuries-old dream.

There is an urgent need to open schools with instruction in the Azerbaijani language for indigenous Azerbaijanis living in Iran. In addition, among the issues requiring resolution are granting permissions for the publication of newspapers and magazines in the Azerbaijani language, as well as the publication of scientific and literary works in this language. These steps may also be of great significance in terms of ensuring the rights of the Azerbaijani people living in Iran, which are enshrined in the Constitution of Your country.

Respectful treatment of the native language, national literature and culture of peoples, as well as the implementation of practical measures in this direction, are an important historical duty of the head of state. We believe that during Your presidency, the right of Azerbaijanis living in Iran to read and write in their native language will be ensured.

Dear Mr. President!

We, the scientists who signed this letter, are authors of numerous textbooks and studies on the Azerbaijani language and literature, compilers of dictionaries and encyclopedias. We are ready to provide free of charge any necessary number of textbooks and supplementary literature, literary and scientific works, encyclopedias and dictionaries for schools with instruction in the Azerbaijani language that will be opened in Iran.

We also consider it our duty to inform You that within the framework of an interstate agreement, we are ready to teach free of charge in schools in Iran where education in the Azerbaijani language will be organized.

The appeal was signed by the following representatives of ANAS:

1. Nadir Mammadli - Director of the Nasimi Institute of Linguistics of ANAS, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor.

2. Mehman Hasanli - Deputy Director for Scientific Work and Digital Development of the Nizami Ganjavi Institute of Literature of ANAS, Doctor of Philological Sciences.

3. Gazanfar Pashayev - Honored Scientist, Chief Research Fellow of the Nizami Ganjavi Institute of Literature of ANAS, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor.

4. Imamverdi Hamidov - Head of the Department of Azerbaijani Literature of the Common Origins and Renaissance Period at the Nizami Ganjavi Institute of Literature of ANAS, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor.

5. Ismayil Mammadli - Head of the Department of Applied Linguistics at the Nasimi Institute of Linguistics of ANAS, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor.

6. Sarkhan Khavari - Head of the Department of Science and Education of the Office of the Presidium of ANAS, Doctor of Philological Sciences.

7. Ismayil Kazimov - Head of the Department of Turkology at the Nasimi Institute of Linguistics of ANAS, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor.

8. Ilham Tairov - Head of the Department of Cultural Linguistics at the Nasimi Institute of Linguistics of ANAS, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor.

9. Aygul Hajiyeva - Head of the Department of Turkic Manuscripts at the Muhammad Fuzuli Institute of Manuscripts of ANAS, Doctor of Philological Sciences.

10. Farida Azizova - Head of the Department of Medieval Azerbaijani Literature at the Nizami Ganjavi Institute of Literature of ANAS, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor.

11. Nargiz Hajiyeva - Head of the Department of Modern Azerbaijani Language and Speech Culture at the Nasimi Institute of Linguistics of ANAS, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor.

12. Akif Imanli - Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor.

13. Afzaladdin Askerov - Head of the Department of Folklore of Turkic Peoples at the Institute