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| Bilal Hatemi |
"What is nationalism for us? A goal, or a tool and means? We need to think, discuss, and clarify this," says Bilal Hatemi in an interview with Voice of America, emphasizing the existing problems with nationalist movements and nationalist thinking in the South. The southern sociologist points out that nationalism is insufficient in addressing the problems of Iranian Azerbaijan or Turkish people in Iran in general, and that after a certain point, attention must be given to other actions and movements.
"In the history of Iranian Azerbaijan, Turks were forced to start certain actions and movements. At the forefront of these, both in terms of understanding and naming, is nationalism. This is normal... Turks couldn’t have moved on to another movement outside of nationalism. For an oppressed nation, a group of people whose rights are taken away, this is the right path. But for nationalism to become so prominent, for everyone to identify themselves as nationalist, that is a different matter."
"Although the name is the same, nationalist movements differ in terms of desires, goals, and the reasons for their emergence," says Bilal Hatemi, stating that Turkish nationalism in Iranian Azerbaijan, Persian nationalism in Iran, and Turkish nationalism in Turkey should be considered in separate categories.
Hatemi, a graduate of Hacettepe University in Ankara, says that in forms of nationalism that emerged in opposition to colonialism, an oppressed nation moves towards defining its identity and claiming its rights. He emphasizes that after this stage, nationalism alone is no longer sufficient:
"In the stage of defining oneself, nationalism is inevitable... In South Azerbaijan, success has been achieved in this regard. Now, a large Turkish population knows they are Turkish, but what should be done from the moment this awareness is created? After that, other actions must accompany nationalism. It is not enough to be nationalist from the starting point to the final point."
Hatemi talks about the importance of focusing on the various layers and groups in society that face injustice and discrimination:
"Alongside nationalism, other things are necessary. For example, they should approach the issue through the human rights channel. After identifying themselves, it is necessary to ask for their rights. Issues such as gender discrimination, women’s rights, and religious minorities also exist in society. Nationalist movements should focus on these and continue their path by creating a broader discourse."
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Bilal Hatəmi: Millətçilik yetərli deyil