As we have reported, on September 23, a new academic year began in Iran and South Azerbaijan. Since the opening of the educational institutions, a national book distribution campaign has been launched by national civil activists in South Azerbaijan.

The campaign, initiated by Azerbaijani national-cultural activists with the slogan “A Turkish book for every Azerbaijani student”, continues in many cities. On October 17, Nir students reported the distribution of many books in the Turkish language.

The campaign started in Erdabil and lasted two weeks. Activists applied to different schools to distribute books among students. Then, the campaign continued in some cities, including Mesashshehr (Xiyav), Zenjan, Astara, Nir and others.

The book distributors also talk about of the Turkish language in Iran and the importance of education in their mother tongue as they learn the ideas and suggestions of students, parents and teachers. The aim is to come to a common denominator in mother tongue education and to act in the same position.

The book-related campaign, originally by Azerbaijani national-cultural activists and supporters of the Tractor team, said that the Turkish book campaign was well met by Azerbaijani internet users.

According to the activists, the aim of the campaign was to provide a Turkish book for Azerbaijani students, to interpret the importance of education in their mother tongue, and to support the demand for education in their mother tongue, to protest the country’s unique education system.

Making Turkish one of the official languages in Iran and the problem of education in the mother tongue have not been resolved for many years, hundreds of Azerbaijani activists have been detained, tortured and sentenced to years in prison.

More than 70 per cent of the country’s population in Iran is not taught in the mother tongue, and this issue has been approved by Iran’s former education minister, Hamidrza Haji Babayi.

To this date, many international organizations have urged Iran to recognize the right of non-Iranian nations to recieve education in their mother tongue, but the regime has ignored these challenges and continues its unified education system in the country.