The activities of this movement continued sporadically until the late 1990s, when it gained momentum, becoming a widespread and independent movement. By the early 2000s, it had emerged as a key pillar of the Azerbaijani national movement.
Several significant events during this period spurred the formation of strong student cores in Azerbaijan, provoking intense protests from Azerbaijani students. These major events included:
The massacre of Azerbaijanis in Karabakh and the occupation of parts of the Republic of Azerbaijan by Armenia, with accusations that Iran provided financial and military aid to Armenia.
The elevation of Ardabil to a province without retaining the name Azerbaijan.
The publication of a racist questionnaire titled "Social Distance" by the Research, Studies, and Program Assessment Center of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).
These incidents led to widespread student protests, centered primarily at Tabriz University, with Urmia and Tehran universities joining the protests, particularly regarding the last issue. The Azerbaijani students' protests against the IRIB's "Social Distance" questionnaire began on May 9, 1995, in Tabriz and spread to other universities. The protests escalated into street clashes between riot police and Azerbaijani students in Tabriz and Urmia, with the demonstrators facing severe crackdowns.
One of the questions in the IRIB questionnaire was, "If you wanted to buy a house and saw that your next-door neighbor or adjacent apartment was occupied by Turks, would you still be willing to live there?" This question ignited the protests, and the aftermath of its publication became a turning point in the modern history of Azerbaijan. May 9, 1995, was designated as "Student Day" in Azerbaijan by activists, student groups, and associations.
From May 9, 1995, until July 1999, student activities at Azerbaijani universities continued through the establishment of cultural centers, Turkish language and literature classes, and the publication of bilingual student journals. However, on July 20, 1999, following the July 9 protests at Tehran University, Tabriz University became the scene of one of the bloodiest student protests in Iran’s history. On this day, Azerbaijani and non-Azerbaijani students at Tabriz University were attacked by hundreds of Ansar-e Hezbollah forces armed with iron bars, batons, and clubs. Many sources also reported direct shooting at both the people and the students. The number of injured and arrested in these protests was never accurately determined.
In articles written by Azerbaijani student activists, the protests on July 20, 1999, are referred to as the last widespread participation of Azerbaijan’s student movement in a nationwide movement. In the years that followed, participation was limited to some subgroups of the Azerbaijani student movement and occurred on a much smaller scale.
From July 20, 1999, until June 2006, aside from sit-ins on various issues, no significant student protests were held by Azerbaijani students. However, they continued to organize by publishing dozens of student journals in Turkish or bilingual formats, holding cultural camps, and hosting events such as the celebration of International Mother Language Day, Azerbaijani concerts, and establishing student organizations such as the "Assembly of Azerbaijani Academics," the "Islamic Society of Zanjan University," and cultural clubs at universities in Tabriz, Urmia, Zanjan, Ardabil, Tehran, and other cities. Additionally, student activists played a key role in organizing events outside the universities, such as the annual Babak Castle Congress and the celebration of the official recognition of the Turkish language on December 12.
After the publication of an offensive cartoon in the Iran newspaper on May 12, 2006, the first protest gatherings were initiated by Azerbaijani students within the universities. On May 16, 2006, universities in Tabriz and Urmia began these protests with rallies attended by thousands of people. Over the next three days, almost all universities, both large and small, in cities across Azerbaijan and Tehran—whether they were state, Azad, or Payame Noor universities—became the scene of protests. Students continued their protests within the universities until May 19, 2006, when the first urban protests broke out in the city of Khoy, in northern West Azerbaijan. These protests then spread across Azerbaijan and Tehran.
Since June 2006, Azerbaijani students have held protests and rallies more frequently and for various reasons, such as the anniversary of the June 2006 protests, International Mother Language Day, and Student Day in Azerbaijan (May 9). However, in recent years, due to increased crackdowns and widespread arrests, these events have seen lower turnout than before.
The behavior of the Azerbaijani student movement in relation to the events leading up to and following the 10th presidential election was somewhat ambiguous and complex, but it was assessed as being based on a unified and clear policy. This included the support of some student organizations, such as the Arman group, for Akbar Alami’s candidacy, protests against former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami after a video surfaced of him making a joke about Azerbaijanis (which he denied after widespread protests), attempts to commemorate the 2006 protests, relative support for Mir Hossein Mousavi due to his promises to address language rights, and sporadic, uncoordinated protests over the election results. These were different actions taken by the Azerbaijani student movement within a short period.
Regarding the core demands of Azerbaijani students, it’s worth mentioning the statements issued about the demands of the Azerbaijani nation by student activists during the lead-up to the 10th presidential election. The main headline of these demands was the elevation of the Turkish language to official status in the country.
Thank you.
