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| Turkan Bozkurt |
Feminist activist Turkan Bozkurt discussed the recent nationwide protests in Iran and the changes in Iranian society and politics that have emerged as a result in an interview with Voice of America.
Bozkurt believes that although the protests, which started in September 2022 and lasted for months, showed great diversity, balance, and dynamism, these aspects were not transferred to the opposition outside the country.
Bozkurt also states that politically, the situation has changed, and opposition voices against the government are now louder compared to the pre-protest period:
"We can see that the youth are speaking out more against the government. Okay, maybe the protests have slowed down a bit, but we can see the change that speaking out against the government was perhaps not as easy as it is now, it used to be a bit of a taboo. Especially when looking at young girls, it’s clear how much self-confidence they have gained. There is hope that things will be different."
The young activist emphasizes that the diversity, dynamism, and balance visible in the protests inside Iran have not been reflected in the Iranian diaspora abroad.
She says, "For example, inside, we saw that Turks went to the protests and expressed their slogans. They want freedom, justice, and a national state. Baluchis went and gave their slogans. Persians and Kurds did the same. But that dynamism and balance has not been transferred to the diaspora. When we look at Iranian society, we might see some Persians, some Turks, some Arabs, and some Baluchis... But when we look at the opposition in the diaspora, we see that 80 percent, or maybe even more, of the voices are coming from the Persians. Their demands, their needs are being spoken about."
Turkan Bozkurt adds, "When we look at Persian-language mainstream media, the topic has completely changed. It has moved from issues like women’s rights, human rights, and the situation in Iran to discussions about choosing a leader, supporting monarchy, federalism, or other topics..."
She believes that the demographic composition of Iranian immigrants abroad also affects the current situation:
"We must also understand that the situation in the diaspora depends on numbers and power. For example, Turks in Iran do not have as many opportunities to migrate. It depends on class, on how much opportunity you have to migrate or escape. This is something wealthier individuals can do. Wealthy and educated families living in metropolitan cities like Tehran can do this. The Iranian state has always supported them. Since most of those who go abroad are from these families, and because they have more money, their voices are heard more in the diaspora. They no longer talk to feminist groups, or with Turks, or with Arabs. They talk to no one. The balance inside Iran does not reach outside, and I believe the people understand this and say, ‘I am neither a monarchist nor a Sheikhist,’" Turkan Bozkurt added.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Türkan Bozqurt: İran etirazlarındakı dinamika, müxtəliflik və balans xaricdəki müxalifətdə əks olunmadı