Taher Shir Mohammadi – Deutsche Welle Farsi – May 20, 2015
Hassan Rouhani’s visit to Tabriz was overshadowed by the "Tractor Sazi controversy," which dominated the agenda to the extent that longstanding promises, such as the "revival of Lake Urmia and the establishment of a Turkish Language Academy," were sidelined.
On Wednesday, May 20, 2015, as part of his provincial tours, President Rouhani visited East Azerbaijan Province. His trip to Tabriz became one of the most controversial provincial visits due to the "Tractor Sazi incident." A day before his trip, Rouhani instructed Mahmoud Goudarzi, the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, to investigate and thoroughly review all aspects of the final match involving the Tractor Sazi football team.
The next day, the Minister of Sports, speaking in Tabriz, acknowledged, “There were issues with the refereeing.” Meanwhile, Azerbaijani representatives in the parliament, including Nader Ghazipour, a member of the Sports Caucus Presidium, demanded a replay of the Tractor Sazi–Naft match.
Welcoming Rouhani with Turkish Slogans
Coinciding with Rouhani’s visit to East Azerbaijan, Iran newspaper, affiliated with the government, published a special issue with the headline: “Şəhriyar Diyarınə Xoş Gəlibsiz!” (Welcome to the Land of Shahriyar!). During his speech at Tabriz’s Takhti Stadium (Bagh Shomal), the President began his remarks in Turkish and recited a poem from Heydar Baba, a famous Azerbaijani work by poet Mohammad Hossein Shahriyar. He praised Azerbaijan as the birthplace of Shahriyar, the "Commander of Words," as well as Parvin E'tesami and Nizami Ganjavi.
Rouhani addressed red-clad fans of the Tractor Sazi football team, responding to chants of “Tractor, Tractor” from 50,000 people. He said, “Tractor Sazi belongs to the people of Iran, and no one can toy with the emotions of Tabriz’s champions.”
The President’s involvement in the "Tractor Sazi issue" drew criticism from local media, who accused the government of neglecting the broader issues facing East Azerbaijan Province.
The regional websites Anaj and Tabriz Bidar criticized the President, stating:
“The President reduced all the province’s issues and challenges to the Tractor Sazi–Naft match and surprisingly used this sports incident for political maneuvering.” They further claimed, “The government is attempting to exploit Tractor Sazi for political purposes.”
Local outlets also lamented that the government had seemingly forgotten its primary purpose in visiting Tabriz, which was addressing the province’s challenges and issues.
Rouhani Did Not Visit Lake Urmia
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| The People of Azerbaijan Still Hope for the Revival of Lake Urmia |
Ahead of Rouhani’s trip, Azerbaijani MPs and local officials, including East Azerbaijan’s Governor Jabbarzadeh, highlighted the need to fulfill "delayed promises." Reza Rahmani, the representative for Tabriz, Azarshahr, and Osku, stated that the people’s most significant demands from the President were the revival of Lake Urmia and the establishment of a Turkish Language Academy.
The day before Rouhani’s visit, First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri chaired a meeting of the "Lake Urmia Rescue Task Force," warning: “If the Lake’s problems are not resolved, the resulting issues could threaten a part of the country.”
Many local media outlets reminded readers of the President’s promise made during a 2013 trip to Urmia, when he declared: “We will revive Lake Urmia and will not let it dry up. Rest assured, if I assume executive responsibility, reviving Lake Urmia will be on the government’s agenda from day one.”
However, Ali Alilu, the representative for Shabestar, expressed disappointment, stating that while the government initially prioritized Lake Urmia, it had not moved beyond words to take meaningful action.
Some Azerbaijani MPs called on the President to visit the “frontlines of Lake Urmia’s damage” and finally address the concerns of Azerbaijani citizens. Yet, Rouhani did not visit the Lake during his trip to East Azerbaijan. He only briefly mentioned in his speech in Tabriz that the situation of Lake Urmia had improved compared to the previous year.