By Macit Araz;

The country which is called Iran nowadays consists of the two major ethnic elements; Turks and Persians. From a certain point of view, history of the country is a contest between Turks and Persians to take the dominance. While mostly Turks were the dominant military and political power, sometimes the Persian bureaucrats were able to take advantage in palace.
During the last 200 years, Persian bureaucrats and Persian nationalism have gained a great influence in central government. For this reason, the Turks of South Azerbaijan have been struggling to take their fate in their own hands since 110 years.
1905 Constitutional Revolution, 1918 Sheikh Mohammad Khiyabani Movement, 1945 National Government of (South) Azerbaijan, 1979 Muslim People’s Republican Party and the modern day (South) Azerbaijan National Movement are the main political movements of modern history of South Azerbaijan. Even though they seem separate from each other, they are actually parts of an entire process, through which the South Azerbaijani Turks have tried to dominate their fate.
In this process, sometimes social democracy, sometimes socialism, sometimes religious ideology and sometimes nationalism have become the actuator ideology. But as the main aim and common denominator, the will of self-rule has remained same.
Despite the Qajar dynasty (1785 to 1925) was of Turkish-origin, the Persian bureaucracy and Persian nationalism were dominant in the capital Tehran, by the ending years of the Qajar Empire. South Azerbaijani Turks who were un-pleased by the corrupted regime started the Constitutional Revolution “Mashrutiyat” (1905).  The revolution was spread all over the country and the Azerbaijani Turks were the pioneer of the revolution. At that time, the Azerbaijani Turks, who were keen to self-rule, put the “Law of State and Provincial Councils” into the first constitution, by the force of arms. The “Council of Azerbaijan”, which was established as a result of this law, governed Azerbaijan for a certain period and in this way the Turks of South Azerbaijan took control over their own destiny. During the Constitutional Revolution, the Azerbaijani intellectuals were mostly influenced by social democracy coming from Russia and Northern Azerbaijan.
Sheikh Muhammad Khiyabani, who was a cadre of the Constitutional Revolution, continued the same path and established an autonomous administration in Tabriz, in 1918. Social democracy was taking a special place in Khiyabani’s world view.
After the Qajar Empire was collapsed in 1925 and Pahlavi Monarchy was established, Persian nationalism became the official ideology of ultra-centralist government in Tehran. There was a crushing pressure on non-Persian communities especially on Turks, as the main historical rival. Overwhelming economic, cultural and political pressure created a great displeasure and anger in Azerbaijan, as well as the other ethnic-national regions.

In 1941, Azerbaijani thinkers established “Association of Azerbaijan” and “Azerbaijan Newspaper”. However they were mostly left-handed due to the era’s conditions, the will of self-rule was so evident. This association was a natural continuation of Constitutional Revolution and Khiyabani Movement. In 1945, the Azerbaijani intellectuals created a semi-independent administration by establishing the Democratic Party of Azerbaijan and National Government of Azerbaijan, by evaluating the conditions on the field. Most cadres of this administration were leftist.
In 1979, the Turks of South Azerbaijan tried to dominate their own destiny by utilizing religious ideology. The Muslim People’s Republican Party and its leaders clearly opposed Khomeini’s “Velayat-e Faghih”, arguing that was against people’s will and demanded the Law of State and Provincial Councils be put into effect again.
The modern Azerbaijan National Movement, which escalated by 1990s, spread to a much broader base in compare with previous movements, emphasizing national rights. Although this movement ideologically has certain differences from the previous ones, but the main common denominator is same; the desire of the South Azerbaijani Turks to dominate their own destiny.
South Azerbaijani Turks, like past 110 years, are willing to dominate their fate and are giving up its struggle. This is a historical demand of South Azerbaijani Turks, whether in the form of an independent state or in a rearranged Iranian frame.
Today, South Azerbaijani Turkish intellectuals, activists and organizations see their legitimate right to use all internationally accepted methods to enjoy self-determination right.
In 2012, many South Azerbaijani organizations submitted a joint letter to the UN emphasizing that a free and fair referendum should be held in Southern Azerbaijan with the supervision of authorized international institutions.