December 12, the anniversary of the establishment of the national government in South Azerbaijan, the manifestation of the will of a nation and the crystallization of national resistance to the oppression and discrimination of apartheid is celebrated annually by the Azerbaijani Turkish nation.

The leaders of the South Azerbaijani national government were able to establish a modern and democratic administration, despite many domestic and international hardships and thanks to the struggle and sacrifice of hero sons and girls of the Azerbaijani Turkish nation, on December 12, 1945; while the region was under dictatorship and darkness.

The national government of South Azerbaijan, led by martyr Seyyed Jafar Pishevari, worked on establishing civil institutions and expanding social freedoms such as “freedom of clothing”, “women’s voting right”, “formalization of the Azerbaijani Turkish language”, as well as the establishment of the National University of Tabriz and the modernization of urban infrastructures and land reform in villages and social security despite its short life.

Unfortunately, the national government of South Azerbaijan did not last for more than a year, and the elected government of the South Azerbaijan was victimized by the conspiracies and collusion of the Iranian regime and the ideological-political polarization of the great powers.

Martyr Seyyed Jafar Pishevari and thousands of descendants of Azerbaijan inherited the second experience of forming the national government after the national government of Mohammad Amin Rasoulzadeh in the North Azerbaijan, despite the execution squads of the Iran’s despotic regime and Stalin’s exiles.

After seventy-two years of establishment of national government of South Azerbaijan, we the activists and organizations of the National Movement of South Azerbaijan, as the inheritors of the “National Government of South Azerbaijan” are determined and committed to continue the way of those freedom fighters and protect their historical heritage, being aware of international and regional political upheavals and crises.

We the South Azerbaijani activists, organizations and parties believe that the only way to protect our nation’s rights is solidarity and working together based on Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the provisions of international treaties.

We, the signatories of this Joint Statement, respect the thousands of martyrs of the “Azerbaijan National Government”, who were executed or passed away in exile, commemorating the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the South Azerbaijan national government with the modern political philosophy “Day of the State of South Azerbaijan” and emphasize the continuation of the national struggle to determine the national-political destiny of the South Azerbaijan Turkish nation.

Remembrance of victims and martyrs of the South Azerbaijan’s liberation;

Long live the Azerbaijani Turkish Nation

Long live the South Azerbaijan National Movement

Long live freedom struggle of oppressed nations in Iran

11/12/2017
Organization signatures:

1- Azerbaijan Democratic Union – (Azərbaycan Demokratik Birligi- Birlik)

2- Azerbaijan National Resistance Organization (Azərbaycan Milli Dirəniş Təşkilatı – AMDT)

3- Azerbaijan Student Movement (Azərbaycan Öyrənci Hərəkəti- AZOH)

4- National Way Organization (Milli Yol Təşkilatı)

5- South Azerbaijan Democratic Party (Güney Azərbaycan Demokrat Partiyası- GADP)

6- South Azerbaijan Democratic Turkish Union – (Güney Azərbaycan Demokrat Türk Birliyi- GADTB)

7- South Azerbaijan Human Rights Center – (Güney Azərbaycan İnsan Haqları Mərkəzi)

8- South Azerbaijan Human Rights Council – USA (Güney Azərbaycan İnsan Haqları Şurası – ABŞ)

9- South Azerbaijan Independence Party (Güney Azərbaycan İstiqlal Partiyası – GAİP)

10- South Azerbaijan Liberal Democratic Party (Güney Azərbaycan Liberal Demokrat Partiyası- GALDP)

11- South Azerbaijan Liberation Party (Güney Azərbaycan Qurtuluş Partiyası)

12- South Azerbaijan Social Democratic Party (Güney Azərbaycan Sosial Demokrat Partiyası)

13- World’s Azerbaijani’s Congress (Dünya Azərbaycanlıları Konqresi- DAK)

14- Unit Independent Azerbaijan Front (Vahid Müstəqi Azərbaycan Cəbhəsi)