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| Yunes Shameli |
The removal of the statue of poet Ferdowsi in the city of Salmas, located in the West Azerbaijan province, and the subsequent coordinated actions of Iranian state authorities and nationalist groups against the Salmas City Council has drawn the attention of political experts. In an interview with Voice of America, Southern Azerbaijani political activist Yunus Shameli stated that such incidents and conflicts between center-oriented political movements and groups working for the interests of Azerbaijan will continue in Iran.
Yunus Shameli considers the return of the statue to the square a defeat for politicians who claim to act according to the will of the people, but he believes that the conflict is not over and that protests will continue in other forms.
The political analyst also shared his thoughts with Voice of America about the actions taken by the municipal councils in Urmia and Salmas in West Azerbaijan province, which were based on the desires of the people, as well as the promises made by members of the Tabriz City Council to organize projects for teaching the Turkish language.
“The expansion of mass movements in Iran demanding justice for non-Persian peoples in recent years has created discourse within the groups in power,” noted Shameli, who lives in Sweden.
He explained that the expansion of national demands in Azerbaijan has influenced the behavior of state officials:
“Officials in the state, who have observed the growing national demands among the Turkish people in Azerbaijan, are trying to respond to these demands. Of course, we should not be overly optimistic. We cannot say that they are truly ready to meet the people’s needs.”
Shameli also stated that politicians who take into account the wishes of the population may succeed in local city council elections.
He explained, “Especially in city council elections, where there is less control compared to parliamentary elections, sometimes people who are not able to be elected at the parliamentary level can secure positions in the city councils... If those who pay attention to the wishes of the Turkish people are elected, it will have positive effects.”
Yunus Shameli emphasized the importance of working to influence these processes and selecting candidates who can be beneficial for Azerbaijan.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Salmasda heykəl olayı və güneyin şəhər şuraları