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| Babak Castle March – July 2003 |
The mass arrests of Turkish activists ahead of the traditional Babak Castle march in South Azerbaijan indicate that the Iranian government fears the march being held with the same scale and significance as in the past. This opinion was expressed by Şahin Xiyavlı in an interview with Voice of America.
The human rights advocate spoke about the ongoing wave of arrests, as well as the history and importance of the annual Babak Castle march.
According to information released by human rights defenders operating in South Azerbaijan, the wave of arrests that began in Ardabil Province has now spread widely to other provinces.
With the detention of many activists from different provinces on their way to Kaleybar, the city where Babak Castle is located in East Azerbaijan, the number of those arrested in recent days has exceeded 50 as of July 5.
Additionally, dozens of activists from various regions have been threatened by security forces.
According to Şahin Xiyavlı, "Ettelaat (intelligence) forces are calling Turkish activists, threatening them, or summoning them to the intelligence offices to sign written commitments stating that if they participate in the march, they will also be arrested."
Reflecting on the history of the traditional march, Xiyavlı said, "These marches began in 1999 thanks to the efforts of the late Zehtabi and his comrades. In those years, participants came not only from Azerbaijan but from all Turkish regions. This movement was not limited to Turks alone—other non-Persian nations also joined."
"The Babak Castle march has always frightened the Iranian government," emphasized the human rights advocate:
"That period was a time when reformists were strong in Iran. The discourse of reformism was a powerful narrative. In this context, Babak Castle was significant because, during those years, it became a turning point of self-awareness and a peak of awakening for Turks. There were arrests even back then. In general, gathering at Babak Castle has always frightened the regime."
Xiyavlı added that compared to previous years, promotional and propaganda efforts for the event were organized more strongly, and more calls for participation in the march were published.
"This once again scared the regime, as they feared that, like in the early years, a large number of people might participate. That is why they started arresting those who intended to go even before the march began."
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
“Babək Qalası yürüşü hər zaman İran hakimiyyətini qorxuya salıb”