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| Hojjatoleslam Abdulaziz Azimi Qadim |
Since the announcement of efforts to establish the Turkish Faction in the Iranian Parliament, Iranian media has continuously brought the issue to public attention in various contexts over the past several months. In an interview with the Voice of America, national activist and cleric Hojjatoleslam Abdulaziz Azimi Qadim provided detailed information regarding the formation of the faction.
"There is still a lot of work to do. This is a troublesome project. Aryanist chauvinists are creating problems... With so much opposition and so many challenges, we are still not entirely convinced the faction will be established. Until the chairman and deputies of the faction sit at the table and begin to speak, we cannot fully believe it."
He added, "The provocations from pan-Iranists are so strong that even if 100 MPs sign in support of forming the Turkish Faction, we still cannot be certain."
The cleric stated that the number of Turkish MPs from all regions, particularly Iranian Azerbaijan, is close to 110. The Iranian Parliament (Islamic Consultative Assembly) consists of 290 members. He reiterated the extent of opposition, saying, "The provocations from pan-Iranists are so strong that even if 100 MPs sign in support of forming the Turkish Faction, we still cannot be certain."
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| The First Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament – Masoud Pezeshkian, Member of Parliament for Tabriz |
Abdulaziz Azimi Qadim underlined the role of the national movement in initiating efforts toward the formation of the Turkish Faction. According to him, the candidates supported by a group of national activists, including himself, during the elections, were the ones who took the primary steps toward establishing the faction after being elected.
"During the elections, we made an effort to support and engage with candidates who were relatively closer to the national movement. Since they needed votes, they came to us. Because of the support they received from the movement, they remained loyal to it," said Azimi Qadim.
Turkish MPs affiliated with various political currents, including reformists and conservatives, support the formation of the faction. According to the cleric, particular attention has been paid to ensuring this initiative's success.
Hojjatoleslam Azimi Qadim believes that if the process of forming the Turkish Faction in the Iranian Parliament is completed, it will also be a positive step toward implementing education in the Turkish language.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Höccətül-İslam Əzimi: Pan-İranist qüvvələr Türk Fraksiyasının təşkilini istəmir