Araz News: In May 2006 the state run newspaper “Iran” printed a caricature and article which humiliated Azerbaijani Turks heavily. For this reason a general uprising erupted in South Azerbaijan which lasted more than two weeks. Iranian government could stop the uprising only by a harsh crack down with many casualties.

In 12^th May 2006 children annex of “Iran” newspaper which is the official organ of government, printed a humor article titled “what we have to do to prevent cockroaches from making us a cockroach!”  The article included a caricature in which a child was speaking with a cockroach in Farsi and cockroach was replying him in Azerbaijani accent Turkish. The article was trying to show how the language of cockroaches (which was Turkish in the caricature) is strident and ungrammatical. Finally the article was offering some methods to fight the cockroaches which were interestingly similar to ways to fight political dissidents than the insects.

In a few days protest rallies emerged  throughout the South Azerbaijan cities such as Tabriz, Urmia, Zangan, Ardabil, Khoy, Naghadeh, Miyaneh, Khalkhal, Meshkinshar, Parsabad, Miandoab, Maragheh, etc. Also Azerbaijani communities in key cities of Iran such as Tehran and Qom reacted and held protest rallies.

Protesters demanded closing the newspaper, punishing the responsible persons and officials apologize. Also the protesters sounded and emphasized national demands of South Azerbaijan such as education in Azerbaijani Turkish and official recognition of Turkish identity of Azerbaijani people.

Iranian authorities responded the wide turn out of people by brutal crackdown. Government had to deploy additional security forces transferring from southern provinces because local forces were not eager enough to confront the protests. After about 20 days bill of the crackdown was heavy. According to human rights activists reports based on eye witnesses tens were shot to death, hundreds were wounded and thousands were arrested. Many were tortured and many were sentenced to imprisonment.

However the government accepted some of the protesters’ demands to end the uprising. But the unwilling action came late, restricted and temporarily. The newspaper was closed and head of authors’ board and caricaturist were detained even if it was temporarily. Also Minister of Culture apologized from people of Azerbaijan.

2006 Caricature Uprising became an important turning point of modern history of South Azerbaijan.

Eighth anniversary of caricature uprising commemorated by meetings in Washington and Ankara.

In USA South Azerbaijani activists came together in front of US Secretary of State Office in Washington, on May 22.

They carried placards related to national rights of South Azerbaijan such as “Iranians are not just Persians”, “School in mother tongue for Azerbaijanis in Iran”.

Finally a representative of the group read a press statement.

Also a group of South Azerbaijani activists held a meeting and rally in Ankara, Turkey on May 25.

Group came together in Kugulu Park of Ankara and rallied toward embassy of Iran shouting slogans and carrying placards. They sounded slogans as “Long Live Azerbaijan”, “Education in Turkish is Our Right”, “We Condemn Paniranism”, “We Condemn Panfarsism”, “We are Turks”, “Save Lake Urmia” and “Lake Urmia is Dying”.

Group also pointed Lake Urmia environmental disaster in South Azerbaijan in their slogans an placards.

They concluded rally reading a press statement and putting a black wreath in front of the embassy door.