I went to school in Iran. My mother was a villager; my father was a worker. I was sent to school by a philanthropist man who paid for my schooling, mine and my brother's.
I went to school in that way up until 14. I did not know any Persian because I was studying everything in Turkish. In those days, the northern part of the country was occupied by the Russians, but there was also, right after they left or at the same time that they were leaving, an indigenous government in Azerbaijan, which was a Turkish-speaking government.
Whatever might be said about that government, I think that one thing should be said for sure. There was nothing wrong with that government. I was a child, and the freest child-that is the only 11 or 12 months in my life I have been free. Later this government was overthrown by the Shah; then we have to study everything in Persian.
....
In my writings I asked for linguistic and cultural autonomy for the Turkish people of Azerbaijan in Iran, because they have an identity of their own, they have a distinct culture that is Azerbaijani, their language is Turkish, just as the Kurds have their own language, their own culture, and I asked for autonomy for these people.
I think it is their constitutional right to have their cultural autonomy. I still ask the same for these repressed nationalities- I never advocated any form of separatism, or any form of secession. Historically, I am after self-determination for my people, but this is not secession.
Source:
United States. Congress. House. Committee on International Relations. Subcommittee on International Organizations. (1976). Human rights in Iran: hearings before the subcommittee on international organizations of the committee on international relations, house of representatives, ninety-fourth congress, second session, August 3 and September 8, 1976. Washington: U.S. Govt. Print. Off.