Voice of America, September 07, 2016
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| Ahmad Farshbafiyan |
Ahmad Farshbafiyan, the head of the Turkish Language and Literature Department at Tabriz University, stated that the language in the department would be taught based on the "national alphabet and the Tabriz dialect."
According to media outlets operating in Iranian Azerbaijan, Farshbafiyan raised this issue during a meeting with journalists on September 6. His appointment as the head of the Turkish Language and Literature Department was also announced at that time.
"In this department, the language will be taught based on our national alphabet and the Tabriz dialect, not the Baku school," said the department head.
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| University of Tabriz |
In the same meeting, the former head of the East Azerbaijan branch of the University Jihad organization also drew attention to the issue of identity, labeling ethnic and civil rights activists as "racist" and "ethnocentric."
"A group of racists raise problems by speaking of identity. However, our identity is made up of Islam, Iranian nationality, and Azeri ethnicity. If any of these were to be lost, we would lose our identity... The teaching of Turkish Language and Literature will take the business of the ethnic nationalists (referring to national activists) from their hands," he said.
Ahmad Farshbafiyan, known for his opposition to Turkish activists, had previously expressed objections to seminars and events organized by Southern activists in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Link to the original text in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
“Türk Dili Bölümündə dil Təbriz ləhcəsi əsasında tədris ediləcək.”