urks

However, they could not prevent the infiltration of the Soviet secret agents within the boundaries of the Autonomous Republic of the Southern Azerbaijan that they established. As a result of the Soviet propaganda carried out in the region, the Southern Azerbaijan had turned into a sort of influential region. Pursuant to the World War II, the United Nations ratified a resolution upon the withdrawal of the Russian-English allied forces from Iran. Therefore, the Russians who had received the share that it desired from the Iran petroleum evacuated the country. Meanwhile, the Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan accomplished to conclude an agreement with the Iran government that guaranteed the rights of the Azerbaijani people on the date of 14th June 1946. However, it was alleged that there were some members supporting the Soviets within the Government of the Southern Azerbaijan. Upon these allegations, the army of Iran got the support of English and Americans violated the agreement concluded on the 14th June 1946 on the grounds of the security of the new elections and penetrated again into Azerbaijan on the date 14th December 1946. Iran government took the revenge of the period of liberation that the Azerbaijani people attained for six months. All of the Azerbaijani leaders that were involved in the struggle of liberation were exiled to various places of Iran and arrested. The properties of these people were entitled to the Iranians. However, the misfortune of Azerbaijani Turks did not end upon these events. When the petroleum of Iran Government under the Presidency of Musaddık was nationalised in 1950s, the American and English governments lost their shares in the Iranian petroleum. Therefore, they initiated a great propaganda in order to provide the separation of Azerbaijani Turks from Iran. As a result of this American and English propaganda, thousands of Azerbaijani Turks were arrested or exiled by the Iran Government. The properties of the Azerbaijani people who were arrested or exiled were given to the Iranians. The Iran Governments who have signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have recently followed an extraordinary chauvinistic policy. They have banned the education of the Azerbaijani Turkish together with Farsi language provided for the Azerbaijani Turks in the schools and they even prohibited the usage of the names of “Turk” and “Turkish”. Since they were not contended with these prohibitions, the allegations stating that the Azerbaijani people of today living in Iran are not rooted from Turks and they are composed of a community with “Iranian” lineage have been taught in the educational books. Thus a policy has been followed in order to convert 20 millions of Azerbaijani Turks to become Iranians.

One of the important Turkish groups that lived in Iran was Şahseven group following the Azerbaijani Turks, Turkmens ad Kasgay people Sahseven people was used as a political term by the Iranian state administration instead of a name of a national tribe. As a matter of fact, these people were composed of the distinguished soldiers of various Turkish tribes and they were commissioned with the mission of the protection of dynasties with Turkish roots. These were called as Şahseven (Shah lovers) group since they defended the post of shah. This group was mixed in them and they formed a separate tribe. Sahseven people who had a fairly privileged status had lived in comfort and wealth for a long time. Sahseven people had contributed great services for the Iran army in modern times, too. The majority of these people live in the Southern Azerbaijan today and their number is approximately 450-500.000.

Apart from these Turkish groups, there are several small Turkish tribes that live in Iran. Some of these groups can be stated as follows: Hamse Turks (250.000), Karapapah people (40.000), Karadağlı group (150.000), Miskin (9.500), Şatronlu (8.500), Geyimli (6.000), Delikanlu (4.000), Beybağlu (4.000) that live in the Southern Azerbaijan; Kengürlü people (60.000) that live in the east of Teheran, Khorasani and Boçağçi Turks (95.000) that live in the regions of Kirman and Belücistan; Karayi people in Khorasan (65.000), Bayet people in Nishapur (150.000), Tümurtaş and Goudan people that live in the province of Rügran (165.000), and some Turkish groups that live in Kazmin and Hanedan. In brief, the population of Turks that live in Iran has exceeded the number of 25 millions.

The End

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