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| Yunes Shameli, Political Commentator |
Political commentator Yunes Shameli assessed the recent statements by Iran's Supreme Leader regarding the Turkish language in an interview with Voice of America. Last week, a video surfaced on social media in which Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei asks a 5-year-old child whether they are "Turkish or Persian." The Supreme Leader of Iran then advises the child's mother to teach them Turkish at home.
“The important issue with this video is that it reveals Khamenei's mentality regarding the Turkish language. According to his mindset, it is the responsibility of mothers to teach Turkish to their children at home. In other words, Turkish should stay in the home and must be taught by mothers. It should not enter schools,” the political commentator states.
A Turkish activist living in Sweden mentions that "a child's mother tongue should develop at home until the age of seven. After that, the development of that language should happen at school. It is no longer the responsibility of the mother but the school and society to teach the child the language."
Shameli adds, “Another important issue is that this video was released by Khamenei's office. This means they see the Turkish language as a matter within society. They observe its expansion and how people are imprisoned because of it. Who are they releasing this video for? They want to send a message to Turks with little or no national consciousness that the 'leader' has a positive stance toward the Turkish language…”
Some activists believe that the Iranian leader’s words about teaching Turkish could create a foundation for legal actions by Turkish language rights defenders within the country. Yunes Shameli, however, does not believe this to be the case.
Shameli points out the competition and struggles between Turkish and Persian politicians within the regime, noting that the video also sends a message to the sides of these struggles.
"Another aspect is the competition between Turkish and Persian politicians within the regime. This video is also a response to that issue. By releasing this video, perhaps the Persian side will be pacified and reduce their attacks, while the Turkish side may calm down and think that the 'leader' is supporting them," says Yunes Shameli.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Yunus Şamili: Xameneyi deyir ki, türkcə evlərdə qalsın, məktəblərə girməsin