Milad Balsini / Asgar Akbarzadeh - Radio Zamaneh - 5 March 2024
In this article, Milad Balsini and Asgar Akbarzadeh use available data to show that there has been no change in the longstanding refusal of Iran's Civil Registration Organization to issue birth certificates for children with Turkish names.
For many years, the Civil Registration Organization has prevented the issuance of birth certificates for children whose parents choose Turkish (Türki) names, labeling these names as "foreign." Officials, however, claim there are no restrictions or prohibitions against issuing birth certificates with Turkish names, yet parents often have to navigate the bureaucratic system for weeks, sometimes years, before the Civil Registration Organization finally agrees to issue a birth certificate with a Turkish name.
The Civil Registration Organization commonly rejects Turkish names in three ways: first, by labeling them "foreign" and claiming they "lack Iranian roots and do not fit within the framework of Iranian-Islamic culture"; second, by objecting to the spelling of names based on Turkish linguistic rules; and third, by stating that the names do not correspond to the child’s gender.
Lack of a birth certificate causes numerous issues for parents and children, especially regarding access to healthcare, among other challenges. This imposes significant financial and emotional costs on families. Nonetheless, parents persist in asserting their fundamental right until they eventually succeed in obtaining a birth certificate with a Turkish name for their children.
This article is based on lived experiences of 19 parents concerning the Civil Registration Organization's refusal to issue birth certificates with Turkish names for their children. These parents come from 11 cities, and their experiences span 38 years, from 1985 to 2023.
Turkish Alienation and the Alien Turk
Previously, Iran's Civil Registration Organization published a book titled "Name and Naming Culture," distributing it to its local branches across various cities. This compilation contained names approved by the Civil Registration Organization for parents to name their children. Initially, parents would take the hospital-issued birth certificate to the Civil Registration office to obtain an official birth certificate for their child. If the chosen name did not appear in the book or the organization’s approved list, it could not be chosen, at least not in the first step. Recently, however, all approved names have been compiled into an online system, and parents must now select their desired name from this system. If the name they choose is not in the system, it is considered unauthorized, and parents must visit the Civil Registration offices in their city for further action.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Iran's Civil Registration offices followed directives from the organization that prohibited issuing birth certificates for Turkish names, explicitly citing the names' Turkish origin. Since the 2000s, Turkish names have been labeled non-Iranian, foreign, forbidden, or unauthorized, and birth certificates for these names have been refused.
Upon parents' initial visit to the Civil Registration office for a birth certificate with a Turkish name, employees follow the organization's directive and attempt to convince parents to choose a different name. The persuasion includes phrases such as "Is that really a name for a person?" "Choose a name that won't embarrass your child in the future," "Don't ruin your child’s future with this name," or "If you can't do it now, wait five years, and you can get a certificate with this name. So let it go for now."
At times, the Civil Registration Organization’s reaction to Turkish names goes beyond persuasion and involves threats and accusations. In one instance, the Civil Registration office attempted to report a parent to security forces for choosing Turkish names for multiple children. Another case involved accusing parents of supporting the "Democratic Party of Azerbaijan" and "communism" for choosing a Turkish name for their child. In yet another instance, the head of a Civil Registration office in a town visited a parent’s workplace to persuade them to abandon their choice of a Turkish name. A Civil Registration employee also accused one parent of supporting "Pan-Turkism" for selecting a Turkish name and questioned them with inquiries such as, "Who is sending you to the Civil Registration office with these requests for Turkish names?"
Some parents continue to fight for their basic rights, enduring the lack of a birth certificate for their children for weeks, sometimes years, to pressure the Civil Registration Organization to issue certificates with Turkish names.
In 1995, a child of E. Soleimani and his spouse, residents of Parsabad Moghan, was born. The family chose the names Yashar (Yaşar) and Roshan, hoping to use whichever name might be accepted for their child’s birth certificate. The Civil Registration office rejected "Yashar" for being Turkish and "Roshan" for being non-Islamic, arbitrarily registering "Jahangir" instead. The Soleimani family considered filing a complaint against this unauthorized action, and the office was ultimately compelled to reissue the birth certificate with the name Yashar.
When parents choose resistance, they encounter numerous layers of the country’s bureaucratic system. For instance, the Feyzollahnejad family from Maku faced an 18-year struggle, from 2001 to 2019, to obtain birth certificates for their four children. They initially chose the name "Damla" for their first child, who is now 22. The Maku Civil Registration office initially refused to accept the name, claiming it was non-Iranian. The Feyzollahnejad family had to gather various printed materials as evidence of the Turkish origin and meaning of this name and present them to the Civil Registration office in Maku. After several weeks of delays, the office finally issued a certificate with the desired name.
For their second child, now 17, the family chose the name "Basturk" (Baştürk). The Maku office withheld issuance for 11 months, and the family eventually had to select another name. For their fourth child, the organization has now refused to issue a certificate for four years due to the name "Chaghri Manas" (Çağrı Manas) being deemed "non-Iranian." Mr. Feyzollahnejad has traveled twice from Maku to the Civil Registration headquarters in Tehran to request the certificate, facing rejection each time.
Some families, to compel the Civil Registration Office to issue birth certificates for their children with Turkish names, file complaints against the office and find themselves in court. Between 2013 and 2021, two children of Mr. Avazpour and his wife, citizens of Tabriz, were born. The Avazpour family chose Turkish names for both children and, as a result, faced opposition from the Civil Registration Organization regarding the issuance of birth certificates. Mr. Avazpour filed a complaint against the East Azerbaijan Provincial Civil Registration Office for refusing to issue a birth certificate for his second child, born in November 2021, under the name "Alp Aslan." On January 16, 2022, Branch 2 of the Tabriz Public Civil Court issued a ruling of non-hearing for the plaintiff's claim and referred the case to the Administrative Court of Justice. After two rejections of Mr. Avazpour's complaint, the third appeal, filed with legal representation by Asghar Mohammadi, a lawyer and member of the Human Rights Commission of the East Azerbaijan Bar Association, led the Tabriz Civil Registration Office, after approximately 2 years and 3 months, to comply with the Administrative Court of Justice’s order to issue a birth certificate with the name "Alp Aslan."
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| The Court Ruling of Tabriz in Response to the Complaint by Mostafa Avazpour Against the Civil Registration Office of East Azerbaijan Province |
Mr. Mehrali Beglou's child, born to him and his wife, residents of Suca village in Jolfa, was born in November 2018. Despite 5 years and 3 months having passed since the child's birth, the Civil Registration Office has regarded the chosen name, "Huntay," as lacking Iranian identity and has so far refrained from issuing a birth certificate. When the Mehrali Beglou family faced opposition from the Jolfa Civil Registration Office regarding the issuance of a birth certificate under the name "Huntay," they compiled extensive documentation from various printed sources regarding the name's meaning and submitted it to the office. They also corresponded with Civil Registration officials multiple times on this issue but received no favorable response. The Mehrali Beglou family then filed a complaint against the Jolfa Civil Registration Office. However, the court also granted the authority to choose the name not to the parents but to the Civil Registration Office. When the Mehrali Beglou family received no favorable outcome from the court, they decided to pursue the matter with the Administrative Court of Justice, where the case is currently under review. This year, on the anniversary of Huntay's birth, the Mehrali Beglou family held a symbolic protest over the denial of their chosen name by celebrating their child’s birthday in front of the Jolfa Civil Registration Office.
Mr. Hedayati and his wife, residents of Takab, also chose the path of legal complaint to compel the Civil Registration Office to issue a birth certificate with their chosen name. They had chosen the name "Onur" for their child born in May 2017. Due to the name being considered unauthorized in the naming system, the Hedayati family filed a complaint against the Takab Civil Registration Office, and after about 3 years and 5 months, in October 2020, the office was ordered by the court to issue a birth certificate with the name "Onur" for their child.
At times, the Civil Registration Office does not accept the family's documentation regarding the meaning of the child's chosen name, requiring confirmation of the name's validity from Turkish language university professors. Over the nine years between 2014 and 2023, two children were born to Mr. Nourmohammadi and his wife, who are residents of Nadarlı village in Shabestar County. The Nourmohammadi family chose the name "Umay" for their first child. Since this name was not listed in the Civil Registration Organization's naming system, it was deemed non-Iranian, and the organization initially refused to issue a birth certificate for the Nourmohammadi children.
After their request for a birth certificate with the name "Umay" was rejected by the Shabestar Civil Registration Office, the Nourmohammadi family first appealed to the East Azerbaijan Provincial Civil Registration Office and then to the national Civil Registration Organization. The organization made the issuance of the birth certificate conditional on validation of the name by Turkish language university professors. The Nourmohammadi family sought confirmation from the Istanbul Turkish Language Department at Allameh Tabataba'i University. After receiving a confirmation from one of the professors verifying the Turkish origin of the name and submitting it to the organization, they eventually succeeded in obtaining a birth certificate with the chosen name after eight months.
In August 2023, the Nourmohammadi family's second child was born. They chose the name "Hunay" for this child, and the same issues that occurred with their first child were repeated. The name "Hunay" was considered unauthorized in the Civil Registration Organization's naming system, and the Shabestar Civil Registration Office has so far refrained from issuing a birth certificate, deeming it "non-Iranian." Despite nearly six months having passed since Hunay’s birth, the child still lacks a birth certificate.
Mr. Joulani and his wife, residents of Ardabil, had a child in July 2020 and chose the name Ayil (Ayıl) for their child. When the Ardabil Civil Registration office refused to issue a birth certificate on the grounds that the name was "unauthorized and non-Iranian," the Joulani family decided not to pursue a legal complaint and instead continued to assert their fundamental right through the Civil Registration office. In addition to launching a campaign called Ayil, they, along with their young child, planned to stage a sit-in in front of the Ardabil Civil Registration building. As a result of this campaign—which garnered significant attention within society, as well as coverage from Persian-language media outside Iran and media in the Republics of Azerbaijan and Turkey—the issuance of a birth certificate with the name Ayil was approved after nine months.
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| An Example of Graffiti in Ardabil During the Ayil Campaign, Reading: “Ayil, a Political Concept.” |
Sometimes families are required by the Civil Registration office to collect documentation proving the meaning of a name from various printed sources. The office then sends these documents to the Civil Registration Organization, and with the approval of the Naming Committee, the issuance of a birth certificate with the parents’ chosen name is approved after a few weeks. Mr. Dalir and his wife, residents of Germi, chose the name Duyğu for their child. Using this process, they were able to obtain a birth certificate for their child in less than four weeks. However, during Mr. Dalir’s visit to the Germi Civil Registration office, an employee accused him of supporting "Pan-Turkism" for selecting a Turkish name for his child and questioned him with inquiries such as, "Who is sending you to the Civil Registration office to request Turkish names for your children, and for what purpose?"
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| Image of Duygu Dalir's Birth Certificate |
Similarly, Mr. Sadeghifar and his wife, residents of Ardabil, were able to obtain a birth certificate for their child with the name Dolun Ay in less than three weeks by gathering documentation on the name’s meaning from various printed sources.
Mr. Koushi and his wife, citizens of Tabriz, chose the name Saday for their child, born in September 2022. The Civil Registration system deemed the Koushi family's chosen name "unauthorized" due to it being "non-Iranian." After three written appeals by the family, accompanied by documentation collected from various sources and with support from a professor in the Azerbaijani Turkish Language and Literature department at the University of Tabriz, their request was finally approved. However, the head of the Tabriz Civil Registration Office personally prevented the issuance of a birth certificate with the chosen name. As a result, the family filed a complaint against the head of the office for abuse of position. Following this, the head agreed to issue the certificate with the name Saday, and the Koushi family withdrew their complaint. Eventually, Saday's birth certificate was issued about four months after his birth.
Writing Turkish Names Using Persian Rules
Even when the Civil Registration Organization approves the issuance of a birth certificate with Turkish names, it often insists on registering these names according to Persian rather than Turkish spelling rules. This approach results in incorrect pronunciation and meaning, making it impossible to read the names as Turkish.
Mr. S. Javanshir and his wife, citizens of Bilesavar Moghan, chose the name Eldar for their child born in 1985. However, the Civil Registration Office in the city recorded the name as İldar in the birth certificate. In Turkish, the "hamze" character (ئ) represents the vowel "e," and without this character, the name has no meaning in Turkish.
The child of Mr. A. Soleimani and his wife, residents of Parsabad Moghan, was born in autumn 1988. They chose the name "Sevil" for their child. However, the Parsabad Moghan Civil Registration Office initially refused to issue a birth certificate with this name, citing it as "non-Islamic," "not listed among the organization's approved names," and "not common in Iran." The Soleimani family was even accused of supporting the "Azerbaijan Democratic Party" and "Communism" for choosing a Turkish name for their child. Within less than a week, the Soleimani family provided evidence from various sources supporting the meaning of Sevil and successfully refuted the accusations, obtaining a birth certificate with the name. However, the name was registered as Soyl instead of Sevil.
Approximately 33 years after Sevil Soleimani's birth, Mr. Joudi and his wife, residents of Germi, welcomed a child in winter 2021. They also chose the name Sevil for their child. However, the Germi Civil Registration Office refused to write the name according to Turkish spelling rules, insisting on using Persian spelling, Soyl. The Joudi family disagreed due to the pronunciation error and filed a complaint to have the name recorded in Turkish. Their initial complaint was dismissed, leading them to file a second complaint, which succeeded. After three months, they obtained a birth certificate with the name Sevil written according to Turkish rules.
One of Mr. A. Javanshir and his wife's children, born in Bilesavar Moghan in 1991, was given the name Elçin. The Civil Registration Office delayed issuing a birth certificate for a year due to the Turkish origin of the name. Finally, after repeated appeals from the family, the office registered the name as İlçin.
The Feizollahnejad family faced about six years of conflict with various offices to obtain a birth certificate with the name Oghuz Kağan for their child, born in September 2011. In the end, they were unable to secure the full name, with only the first part, Oghuz, being registered in the birth certificate as Əğuz. In Turkish, the vowel "o" is represented by "او," while in Persian, it is shown as "اُ." Additionally, the issuance date on the birth certificate was recorded as one and a half years earlier than the actual date. In other words, instead of showing the birth certificate as issued six years after Oghuz's birth, it was recorded as four and a half years after his birth.
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| Image of Oghuz Feyzollahnejad's Birth Certificate |
Mr. Abbasi and his wife, citizens of Zanjan, had a child in January 2012 and chose the name Elin. Due to the Zanjan Civil Registration Office’s refusal to issue a birth certificate for Elin with the Turkish spelling, the Abbasi family submitted a request for review by the Civil Registration Organization’s naming committee. This committee rejected their request within three to four days. Consequently, Mr. Abbasi directly approached the Directorate of Registry and Identity Affairs in Tehran. Upon learning the reason for Mr. Abbasi’s visit, one of the officials reportedly greeted him with remarks like, “Here come the Turks again, wanting their name spelled with the hamze,” and “No, it’s against the rules.” After repeated visits and negotiations with various officials, a staff member informed Mr. Abbasi about a confidential letter sent two years prior by the Civil Registration Organization to the Academy of Persian Language and Literature, seeking clarification on the correct spelling for Turkish and Kurdish names as requested by parents. The response, signed by Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, rejected such requests, stating that Turkish and Kurdish names should be written according to Persian spelling rules. Ultimately, due to the organization’s persistent opposition, Elin Abbasi’s birth certificate was issued in July 2012—five months and sixteen days after his birth—with the Persian spelling Əlin/Olin.
The Avazpour family chose the name El Ana for their first child, born in spring 2013. However, the Tabriz Civil Registration Office refused to issue a birth certificate with the requested spelling and only allowed the name to be recorded as Əl Ana/Ol Ana. After filing a complaint against the Civil Registration Office, the Avazpour family succeeded, and about two months after El Ana’s birth, a court ordered the office to issue the certificate with the Turkish spelling.
In summer 2021, the child of Mir Hashem (an alias) and his wife was born. They selected the name Elcan for their child, but the Civil Registration Office rejected the use of the hamze, requiring the certificate to show the name according to Persian spelling rules as Əlcan/Olcan. The Mir Hashem family provided documentation to the Civil Registration Organization and their city’s office supporting the Turkish spelling, but both appeals were denied. They then filed a complaint against the Civil Registration Office, and more than three months after Elcan’s birth, the court ordered the office to issue the birth certificate with the correct spelling. During the complaint process, the head of the Civil Registration Office reportedly visited Mir Hashem’s workplace, asking him to withdraw the complaint against the office.
Children with Two Names and One Birth Certificate
The Civil Registration Organization not only restricts the issuance of birth certificates with Turkish names but also opposes names from other languages that have become common in Turkish literature or that are the names of historical Azerbaijani figures from other linguistic origins. In other words, the organization does not solely object to names with Turkish roots. It also considers non-Turkish names that are prominent in Turkish literature, represent historical figures, or symbolize Turkish identity as foreign.
In the 1980s and 1990s, when parents visited civil registry offices to obtain birth certificates with Turkish names for their children, officials would either unilaterally register a different name on the child’s birth certificate or show the parents a list of approved names, requiring them to select an alternative due to the prohibition on Turkish names. As a result, in both cases, when parents could not obtain a birth certificate with the Turkish name they wanted, a non-Turkish name was ultimately recorded on the child’s birth certificate. However, parents would still call their children by the Turkish name of their choice, and the community also recognized them by that name, with few people aware of the official name on the birth certificate.
For example, Mr. A. Javanshir and his wife chose the name Shalale (Şəlalə) for one of their children born in 1986. However, due to the Bilesavar-Moghan Civil Registration Office’s opposition to this name, officials unilaterally registered the name "Zhāleh" on the birth certificate. Another child of Mr. Javanshir was born in 1989, and the family selected the name Hajar (Həcər) for her, but the registry office again altered it to "Hājer" on the birth certificate. In 1994, another child was born, and the family chose the name Gunduz (Gündüz), yet the Bilesavar-Moghan Civil Registration Office opposed this Turkish name as well and arbitrarily recorded "Āsaf" on the birth certificate. Notably, because of their requests to issue birth certificates with Turkish names, the Bilesavar-Moghan registry office even considered referring the Javanshir family to security forces.
In another case, one of Mr. M. Javanshir's children was born in 1987, and the family chose the name Eldeniz (Eldəniz). Despite this, the Bilesavar-Moghan registry office not only refused to register this Turkish name but also unilaterally entered "Māziār" on the birth certificate. Similarly, Mr. A. Javanshir and his wife chose the name Eluca (Eluca) for another child born in 1993. Once again, the Bilesavar-Moghan registry office objected to the Turkish name and, on its own, recorded "Lāleh" on the birth certificate.