Taher Shir Mohammadi - Deutsche Welle Persian - November 1, 2016
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| Interior view of the Iranian Parliament |
The faction of representatives from Turkish-speaking regions in the Iranian Parliament was established with the participation of 100 representatives. The government, parliament, and the media’s view on this move were not negative. Voters from Turkish-speaking regions welcomed the formation of this faction.
The faction for Turkish-speaking regions was formed after weeks of discussion and consultations among representatives on November 1, 2016.
Masoud Pezeshkian, the Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, was elected as the head of this faction. Nader Qazipour, representative of Urmia, along with Reza Karimi, representative of Ardabil, were chosen as the first and second vice-presidents. Zahra Saei, representative of Tabriz, Azarshahr, and Esko, was selected as the spokesperson of the faction.
This faction includes members from all political groups in the Parliament, ranging from reformists to conservatives.
According to Zahra Saei, the spokesperson of the faction, the goal of this faction is "to utilize the capacity of the representatives to address the problems of Turkish-speaking regions."
The Shared Identity of the 100 Representatives
According to Heydar Bayat, a poet and researcher of classical Turkish literature, in addition to the four provinces of East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, and Zanjan, representatives from Qazvin, North Khorasan, Isfahan, and Tehran also participate in this faction. The main common feature of the members of this faction, according to Bayat, is their linguistic identity.
Therefore, one of the main objectives of this faction will be to pursue the implementation of Article 15 of the Constitution, which concerns the education of ethnic languages in schools.
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| Heydar Bayat is a poet and researcher of classical Turkish literature. |
Bayat stated that these representatives were elected to the Parliament "based on their Turkish identity and support for Turkish literature and identity." He added, "In Tabriz, some reformist representatives gave written commitments that, if elected, they would follow up on the demands of ethnic groups. They committed to advocating for the teaching of Turkish and the implementation of Article 15 of the Constitution. They realized that in the long run, they could not just rely on slogans supporting ethnic groups to win people's votes and had to take practical steps to win votes in future elections."
The Ruling Regime’s Focus on Turkish Identity Due to Shiism
Bayat believes that the success of this faction lies in the fact that its members have embraced diversity and concluded that this issue is neither anti-Islamic nor anti-national.
Bayat emphasizes: "Given the issues in the region and the polarization between Shia and Sunni, the government is paying more attention to Turkish identity now. The Shiite identity of Iran’s Turks has also made the government more attentive to their Turkish identity."
Bayat describes the formation of the faction for Turkish-speaking regions as the greatest event in the fate of ethnic groups and reports that the Turkish-speaking people have welcomed the formation of this faction.
It is worth noting that earlier, Sunni representatives had also formed their own faction. In their first action, this faction requested that President Rouhani appoint one of the ministers from the Sunni community.
Hassan Shariatmadari: Strengthening the Azerbaijani National Feeling
According to Hassan Shariatmadari, a political analyst, "A faction provides a legal tool for ethnic groups to express their demands, not just through noise and demonstrations, but through influence in legal institutions and legal follow-ups."
He stresses, "The faction for Turkish-speaking regions can help strengthen the national sentiment and self-confidence of Azerbaijanis, provided it is not a fleeting movement aimed at stirring up emotions during election campaigns."
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| Hassan Shariatmadari, a political analyst |
Some opponents of the formation of the faction for Turkish-speaking regions have warned about the risk of the country’s division. Shariatmadari disagrees with this view and says, "I don't think 100 members of parliament, all of whom have been vetted by the Guardian Council and are essentially part of the system of velayat-e faqih, would seek to divide the country."
Shariatmadari optimistically emphasizes that the regime has failed in the areas of totalitarianism and power centralization and will gradually have to move toward balanced national development and equitable distribution of power.
This expert points out that the biggest challenge for the Turkish-speaking representatives may be that they succumb to propaganda and act passively. He also stresses, "They must clearly demonstrate that, alongside their commitment to ethnic regions, they also have a national mission for Iran and seek the development of all regions of the country."
"We Shouldn't Expect Anything Amazing from the Faction"
Mehrie Jafari, a lawyer familiar with ethnic issues, welcomes the formation of the faction for Turkish-speaking regions but is not overly optimistic. She criticizes, "These are not the true representatives of the people because Iran’s electoral system is not democratic. Nevertheless, the formation of this faction could be a first step in opening more space for democratic dialogue. The crucial question is how much the representatives will keep their promises. For someone from the right-wing, the policy of the ruling system takes precedence."
This London-based lawyer adds, "The existence of ethnic minorities cannot be denied, and their representatives should be able to form factions in the Parliament to address their problems. For example, the formation of a faction for the Baloch representatives could provide an opportunity to highlight poverty and underdevelopment in Balochistan, or the formation of a faction for Arab representatives could counter the spread of racist ideologies in Iran. The creation of such factions would reduce violence and prevent the spread of separatist ideas."
The formation of the faction for Turkish-speaking regions did not provoke opposition from the media or government officials, as it is a cross-party and broad-based faction. Therefore, experts believe that the formation of such a faction could influence future decisions by the government and Parliament regarding the issues and problems of Turkish-speaking regions.