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| Yasemen Qaraqoyunlu, President of the Global Integration and Dialogue Center |
According to Yasaman Qaragoyunlu, President of the Global Integration and Dialogue Center and a staff member of the Institute of Philosophy at the Academy of Sciences, Azerbaijani Turkish scholars in Iran consider it more essential to operate under Iranian culture. We present an interview with her.
Question: You recently participated in a conference in Turkey. What is the public's view in Turkey regarding the events involving Azerbaijanis in Iran?
Answer: We participated in an international symposium in the city of Kağızman in Turkey, held in the Araz Basin. Many doctors, professors, and PhD candidates from Turkey, Iran, and Azerbaijan were in attendance. Presentations at the conference discussed the shared culture and history of Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Iran in the Araz Basin. Only one presentation was made regarding recent developments in South Azerbaijan’s literature, history, and culture. However, in general, I would evaluate Turkey's stance on the events in Iran as follows: First, Turkey approaches the South Azerbaijan issue with an old historical mindset, stemming from the 400-year-long wars between the Ottoman Empire and the Safavids. This bitter historical perspective has remained in the minds of Turkish society, so they are very cautious regarding Iranian issues. Secondly, Atatürk had a pact called the Pact of Loyalty. This pact was based on the idea that Turkey, Iran, and Arab countries should form a power that would prioritize mutual development and peace in the region. Turkey's current attitude toward Iran is mainly shaped by the principles laid out in this pact.
Question: You mentioned during the conference that there was a presentation about the recent developments in the literature of Iranian Azerbaijan. What was discussed in that presentation?
Answer: The presentation discussed the role of the "Varlık" journal, led by Javad Heyat, in preventing the assimilation of Iranian Azerbaijan. It covered the efforts of figures like Ali Kamali, Dr. Javad Heyat, Behruz Dehqani, and Samad Behranghi in preserving the national culture and identity of Azerbaijani Turks. As we know, the development of the language and culture of South Azerbaijan has been prohibited, and it seems that Azerbaijani Turks, through the efforts of individuals, have managed to save themselves from assimilation.
Question: How were the views on the development of Azerbaijani literature and science in Iran reflected in the general presentations? That is, how are Azerbaijani science and culture viewed at the scientific level in Iran, among scholars from Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Iran?
Answer: The Iranian Azerbaijani scholars who participated in the conference emphasized that it is essential to operate under Iranian culture. I believe, however, that in Turkey, aside from the work of individual scholars, South Azerbaijan is not deeply researched. The only person I would mention here is Dr. Yaşar Kərafət, who published a book a few years ago titled Folk Beliefs of the Jafari Turks.
Question: In Azerbaijan, do dissertations in the field of science often address topics related to Iran and the Azerbaijanis living there?
Answer: The Institute of Oriental Studies at the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences has a department dedicated to South Azerbaijani literature. There, the literature, history, culture, and language of South Azerbaijan are analyzed at a very high level. However, I would like this to spread to all the other institutes of the Academy of Sciences. For example, the history of philosophy does not include topics related to South Azerbaijan. In general, when we talk about Azerbaijani science in Azerbaijan, we are only referring to the science of North Azerbaijan. Since the 19th century, South Azerbaijan has been neglected in dissertation work. This is a strategic mistake.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
İran Azərbaycanında elmin, ədəbiyyatın inkişafı