Turkmen Terzi
The Iranian regime has faced mass unrests due to the country’s strict hijab rules. This time, however, the nationwide protests have transformed into ethnic clashes. The Persian regime is suppressing Kurdish minorities since protests have begun following the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, under the custody of Iran’s morality police in Tehran.
Azeri Turks and Kurds are two large ethnic groups who have faced severe discrimination, threatening Iran’s national unity. Azerbaijani Turks in Iran are predominantly Shia and the Iranian regime considers them to be among the state's most loyal communities.
The rulers of the Safavid Empire, which ruled in Iran from 1501 to 1736, were Azerbaijani Turks, while the Qajar Empire of Turkic origin ruled in Iran until 1925. The Azeri community resides mainly in north-west Iran along the border with Azerbaijan and in Tehran. Many Azeris consider and call Iran’s north-west region Iranian Azerbaijan.
While Azerbaijan was under the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Soviet Union created The Azerbaijan People’s Government in northern Iran, but the autonomous state was short-lived, lasting only between November 1945 to December 1946. Therefore, during the rule of the former Shah and under the current rule of the Islamic Republic, Iran has implemented assimilationist policies against Azeris and does not allow them to have education in their language, presumably to prevent the growing Azeri nationalist sentiments in the region.
However, the independence of Azerbaijan, following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, inspired Iranian Azeri Turks who are mainly Shia but have strong ethnic and cultural ties with Azerbaijan. The other concern for Iran is that Azerbaijan has been fighting against Armenia for the past 30 years. Iran maintains a good relationship with Armenia and has traditionally sided with Yerevan in its conflicts with Azerbaijan. For Iran, Azerbaijan’s war with Armenia taking place in such proximity is a security concern.
Iranian Azeris are largely loyal to Iran’s mullah regime but the Tehran government is deploying Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to Iran’s northern border with Azerbaijan. Iranian Azeris can take advantage of the chaotic situation in the country but Iran’s Kurdish groups are involved in demonstrations concentrated in Kurdish-majority cities.
Iranian state media reported on September 28 that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard hit the headquarters of the Komala Party, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, and the Kurdistan Freedom Party in northern Iraq, with missiles and drones. The Kurdistan Regional Government, the executive body of the autonomous Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq, reported that seven people were killed and 28 wounded during the attacks. The ethnic parties of Iranian Kurds, have been fighting against the Iranian regime for Kurdish rights.
The situation in Iran is worsening, with the International media reporting that the Iranian regime has thus far arrested almost 15 000 people and killed nearly 300 since the beginning of the street protests in Iran on September 16.
Iran and Turkey are rivals. Both countries are competing for regional influence but when it comes to the Kurdish threat, the two countries find a way to collaborate. Iran’s targeting of Kurdish political parties in northern Iraq cities will unite Kurdish groups in Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey. The US government and EU members will probably provide support for Kurdish groups against Iran. Iran and Turkey are likely to face a greater security threat from armed Kurdish groups in the coming years.
The Star