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| Bilal Hatəmi |
A sociologist from Southern Azerbaijan states that the language and culture of the Khalaj Turks are rapidly deteriorating. Bilal Hatemi, a graduate of Ankara Hacettepe University, discussed the linguistic, cultural, historical, and social aspects of the Khalaj Turks residing in Iran's Markazi (Central) and Qom provinces in an interview with Voice of America. According to the sociologist, the Khalaj community primarily shares territories with other Turkish groups from Iranian Azerbaijan, including the Shahsevan (Shahsavan) tribes, in Qom, Markazi, and Tehran provinces. He estimates that approximately 66,000 Khalaj Turks live in these areas.
“Khalaj Turkish is generally not spoken among children. The vast majority of those preserving the language are elderly Khalaj speakers. Therefore, the likelihood of the Khalaj language disappearing in the near future is very high.”
Having conducted field research in Khalaj-populated regions for his thesis titled "The Socio-Cultural Structure of the Khalaj Turks", Bilal Hatemi emphasizes that the Khalaj community has been more heavily assimilated compared to other Turkish groups living in Iran. He notes that the Khalaj people face discrimination from both Persians and other Turkish groups in Iranian Azerbaijan.
“The Khalaj feel socially isolated from other Turks. It’s almost like a psychological inheritance passed down from their ancestors. For example, in regions where Khalaj and Shahsevan communities coexist, the Khalaj often work in different fields. At the same time, they are known for their fierce and warrior-like spirit,” the sociologist explains.
The researcher also calls on cultural activists and organizations from Azerbaijan and other Turkish regions of Iran to take action to preserve the Khalaj language and culture:
“They need help to protect their culture and language. The Khalaj culture is essentially in a dormant state. They no longer have oral literature... Mothers no longer sing lullabies to their children in Khalaj. The youth do not speak Khalaj Turkish. This language is spoken only by middle-aged and older generations.”
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Bilal Hatəmi: Xələc türklərinin dili və mədəniyyəti təhlükə altındadır"