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| Abdurrahman Deveci |
According to Abdurrahman Deveci, in Iran, the sectarian factor may drive a wedge between Sunni Turkmens and Shiite Turks living in other parts of the country, including Azerbaijan. In an interview with Voice of America, the Turkmen writer, artist, and art history professor at Turkish universities, Abdurrahman Deveci, discusses the lives of Turkmens living in Iran’s Turkmen Sahra region, explaining their language, culture, history, and social-political life, as well as the ethnic and sectarian discrimination and pressures they face.
Gonbad-e Kavus (Turkmen: Kümmet Gowuz) is the largest city in Iran with a majority Turkmen population. Turkmens also live in many areas of Golestan, North Khorasan, and Razavi Khorasan. The regions located south of Turkmenistan are referred to as Turkmen Sahra.
The Turkmen writer emphasizes that Turkmens belonging to the Sunni Hanafi sect in Iran face both religious and ethnic discrimination. According to him, Turkmens are oppressed because they are both Turkish and Sunni.
"According to Iran’s constitution, it is prohibited for a Sunni to become president; the president must be of the Shia Ja’fari sect... The prohibition of Sunnis from becoming president has laid the foundation for many other forms of discrimination. Because of this, Turkmens are not even appointed to the lowest positions in the government," Deveci says.
"Because Turkmens have always been under pressure, they feel isolated and have sought out brothers. They consider Turkmenistan their homeland. No matter how much Iran practices Shiism, they feel closer to Turkey, for example," says Abdurrahman Deveci, emphasizing the emotional connections between Turkmen Sahra and Turkmenistan and Turkey.
He likens the relationship between the Turkmens of Turkmen Sahra and Turkmenistan to the relationship between the Azerbaijan region of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan in terms of language, culture, and geographical proximity.
According to the Turkmen writer, "The regions where Turkmens live in Iran have been known as Turkmen Sahra for a very long time. Although Turkmen Sahra is not officially a regional name, this name was historically included in official maps, including during the Pahlavi era, until a few years ago. However, it is no longer written in official maps."
In Deveci's opinion, the emphasis on sectarianism by the government in Iran may drive a wedge between Sunni Turkmens and Shia Turks in other parts of the country, including Azerbaijan:
"As for the Turks living in Azerbaijan, those who prioritize Turkishness over Shiism have been closer to Turkmens. However, when one emphasizes Shiism and the other emphasizes Sunnism, they have distanced themselves."
He adds, "After the identity movement started in South Azerbaijan, it became easier for Turkmens to connect with the activists of this movement."
He also talks about the personality of the late Professor Javad Heyat, the founder of the Sahra journal.
"Javad Heyat was not only the spiritual father of South Azerbaijan but also of Turkmen Sahra," says the Turkmen writer, noting that the famous Turkologist was loved by both Turkmens and for his works.
Abdurrahman Deveci also shares information with Voice of America about Turkmen prisoners in Iranian jails, including Turkmen physicist Omid Kokabee, who has been held in Evin Prison for three years, and national activist Daniyal Babayani.
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| Omid Kokabee |
Abdurrahman Deveci, a professor of art history at Trakya University in Turkey, is also a journalist, writer, and poet. He is the founder of the Sahra journal published in Iran, as well as the author of several books on art and literature.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Əbdürrəhman Dəvəçi: Türkmənlər İranda həm türk, həm də sünni olduqları üçün basqı altındadırlar