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| Alirza Ardabili |
"Today, Azerbaijani Turks no longer evaluate the National Government established by Seyid Jafar Pishavari through a Soviet or Iranian perspective; they have developed their own unique viewpoint," says the editor of Tribun website. In an interview with Voice of America, Alireza Ardabili assessed the different perspectives of Soviet, Iranian, and Azerbaijani historiography on the Azerbaijan National Government established in southern Azerbaijan in 1945-46.
"In Soviet historiography, Russia’s imperialist interests and actions were concealed. Moreover, all democratic reforms, national achievements, and cultural advancements in both northern and southern Azerbaijan were presented as benevolent gifts granted by Russians to the Azerbaijani people," says the South Azerbaijani writer.
The journalist adds that, despite being supported by Soviet military aid, the National Government was fundamentally different from other governments established with Soviet assistance due to its progressive and reformist nature. "When we look at the governments established in Eastern Europe or countries like Afghanistan with Soviet support, we do not see the same progressive laws and ideas that existed in the government led by Seyid Jafar Pishavari." Ardabili highlights the significant contributions of Azerbaijani Turks in shaping the process.
According to him, the Iranian perspective also portrays the National Government as a regime created by the Soviets while completely denying the role of Azerbaijani Turks in the process.
Ardabili believes that a common aspect of both Soviet and Iranian viewpoints is their portrayal of northern and southern Azerbaijan as separate entities. "They ignore the strong bond between the societies of South and North Azerbaijan," the journalist emphasizes.
The Azerbaijani writer notes that recent research, including documents revealed by historian Jamil Hasanli in his book At the Threshold of the Cold War: The Soviet-American Crisis Over Iranian Azerbaijan, 1941-1946, as well as the publication of Stalin’s historic letter to Pishavari, has played a crucial role in shaping the Azerbaijani perspective.
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| At the Dawn of the Cold War: The Soviet-American Crisis over Iranian Azerbaijan, 1941–1946 |
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Əlirza Ərdəbilli: Azərbaycan türkü Milli Hökümətə Sovet və İran perspektivi ilə baxmır