Iran’s Azerbaijan Question
in Evolution
Identity, Society, and Regional Security
Emil Aslan
Souleimanov
Josef Kraus
© Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program –
A Joint Transatlantic Research and Policy Center
American Foreign Policy Council, 509 C St NE, Washington D.C.
Institute for Security and Development Policy, V. Finnbodavägen 2, Stockholm-Nacka, Sweden
www.silkroadstudies.org
”Iran’s Azerbaijani Question in Evolution: Identity, Society, and Regional Security” is a Silk
Road Paper published by the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and Silk Road Studies Program,
Joint Center. The Silk Road Papers Series is the Occasional Paper series of the Joint Center, and
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© Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and Silk Road Studies Program, 2017
ISBN: 978-91-86635-98-5
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Contents
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 4
Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 11
Official Iranian Minority Policy ....................................................................................... 14
Historical Background to Iranian Azerbaijan ............................................................................ 15
The Current Situation in Iranian Azerbaijan ................................................................. 22
Jokes and Insults ............................................................................................................................. 24
Soccer Nationalism ......................................................................................................................... 26
Looking Towards Turkey .............................................................................................................. 29
The Impact of Independent Azerbaijan on the Azerbaijani minority of Iran ........................ 32
Nationalist Organizations of Iranian Azerbaijan ....................................................................... 35
Demonstrations and Manifestations ............................................................................................ 40
Lake Urmia and the Nationalization of the Environmental Movement ................................ 44
Regime Reaction to Azerbaijani Protests .................................................................................... 47
Impact of the Syrian Civil War on the Iranian Azerbaijani Community ............................... 51
Iranian Relations with Azerbaijan and Impact on Iranian Azerbaijan .................... 53
The International Context of Azerbaijani Nationalism in Iran .................................. 59
Turkey .............................................................................................................................................. 59
The United States ............................................................................................................................ 63
Israel ................................................................................................................................................. 65
Russia ............................................................................................................................................... 67
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 70
Authors’ Bio .......................................................................................................................... 75