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| Dr. Alireza Abdullahi |
"For years, political activists in Urmia have organized during elections to present their demands, and the beginning of the return of the original Turkish names of neighborhoods in Urmia is one of the positive outcomes of these activities," said southern activist and former Urmia city council candidate Alireza Abdullahi in an interview with Voice of America.
The Urmia City Council has fulfilled its promise to return the original Turkish names of neighborhoods and areas that had been previously changed to Persian, and the municipality's placement of Turkish signs in many parts of the city has recently become one of the most important events related to Iranian Azerbaijan.
Years ago, activists in Urmia organized during city council elections and sometimes nominated some of their own members as candidates. When the national activists' candidacies were rejected, they supported other candidates who agreed with their demands. In the relatively free atmosphere created by the elections, it became possible to present and promote these demands.
In an interview with Voice of America, Alireza Abdullahi explained the history of the Persianization of Turkish names in Iran, especially in Urmia, and the activism that has been carried out to return these names. He also shared that before leaving southern Azerbaijan, he was active in the election campaigns.
He also ran for the Urmia city council elections in the past.
"The positive results of the activities of Urmia activists in various elections will serve as a guide for other cities," said Abdullahi, evaluating the placement of Turkish signs as the result of the struggle of national activists.
According to Abdullahi, activists in Urmia had organized during city council elections years ago and sometimes nominated candidates from among themselves. When the candidacies of national activists were rejected, they supported other candidates who agreed with their demands. The relatively open space created by the elections allowed these demands to be presented and promoted.
A doctor and cultural activist from Urmia, Abdullahi himself ran for the city council elections but was rejected on charges of separatism.
In June 2013, ahead of the city and village council elections in Iran, the "Urmu Azerbaijan Voice" coalition in Urmia supported 15 candidates.
The coalition's activities included organizing events and distributing leaflets in the city that called for the return of the original Turkish names of neighborhoods, teaching Turkish language and literature in cultural centers, the establishment of a national Azerbaijani library, supporting local press and journalists, and establishing music centers. A few days before the elections, Iran's security forces shut down the coalition's activities.
In those elections, 10 of the 15 candidates elected to the Urmia city council were supported by the Urmu Azerbaijan Voice coalition.
According to Abdullahi, the nation can achieve small successes when it responds strongly to oppression.
"Before Hassan Rouhani, voter participation from Azerbaijan provinces in presidential elections was very low. Seeing this, Hassan Rouhani was forced to make some promises regarding the teaching of the Turkish language, the establishment of Turkish language institutions, and saving Lake Urmia in order to gain votes from Azerbaijan," said the former political prisoner.
"The positive step taken by the Urmia municipality should be supported. However, activities in other areas of demand must continue, and negative steps by institutions should not be overlooked," he added.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Əlirza Abdullahi: Urmiyədə türkcə lövhələrin yerləşdirilməsi milli fəaliyyətlərin nəticəsidir