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| Ural Hatemi |
In an interview with Voice of America, sociologist Ural Hatemi discussed the essence and impact of the May 2006 uprising in Iranian Azerbaijan. Hatemi noted that the uprising marked a break between Azerbaijan’s socio-political trajectory and the central authority in Tehran.
Hatemi emphasized that the May 2006 uprising was not merely a reaction to cartoons published in a state-run newspaper. He highlighted slogans such as “Hey Hey, I am a Turk” and “Education in the Turkish Language” as reflections of the underlying ideology behind the uprising.
"There was a perspective or analysis regarding the May events that suggested Azerbaijani Turks in Iran took to the streets to protest the cartoons and then quieted down. However, as time passes and we examine other political and social movements in Iran, we see that this interpretation is not accurate. The May movement was, in fact, the result of a long process. It stemmed from years of intellectual and critical journalistic activities in Azerbaijan," Ural Hatemi stated.
He added:
"The May uprising was not merely a reactionary event. There was a clear ideology behind it, which we can observe in the slogans raised during the protests. Slogans such as ‘Hey Hey, I am a Turk’ and ‘Education in the Turkish Language’ centered on identity issues. Such clear, transparent, and goal-oriented slogans are not typically found in social movements that emerge purely as reactions."
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| Turkish students from Azerbaijan at the University of Tehran participated in the May 2006 protests with banners reading "We are Turks" to oppose the denial of Turkish identity in Iran. |
According to Hatemi, after May 2006, the political reactions of Iranian Azerbaijan to events in Tehran were shaped by how Iranian political forces responded to the uprising:
"We divide Azerbaijan’s political and social movements into two periods: before and after the May movement. This highlights its significance. After May, the movement played a defining role in all political developments across Iran. Why didn’t Azerbaijan join Tehran in the protests following the 2009 presidential elections? Why didn’t Azerbaijan align with the centralist political movements in later periods? They know the reason. The authorities know it too. They know that after the May uprising, Azerbaijan’s socio-political destiny diverged from the center because the center didn’t support Azerbaijan’s movement. Instead, they leveled accusations against Azerbaijan’s rightful uprising."
In his interview, Hatemi also reflected on the recent anti-government protests in Iran, stating:
"When we look at the ages of the young people participating in the recent protests in Azerbaijan, most of them had not experienced the events of May 2006... Given their age, it’s impossible for them to fully understand those issues. While the previous generation hesitated about participating, we didn’t see that hesitation in the new generation. Moreover, during the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement, a significant number of those who took to the streets in Azerbaijan did so with Azerbaijan’s concerns in mind."
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Ural Hatəmi: 2006 May Qiyamındakı düşüncəni 'Haray haray mən türkəm' kimi şüarlarda görmək olar