On February 21, the world observes International Mother Language Day, a global initiative established by UNESCO to promote linguistic diversity and multilingualism. However, for millions of South Azerbaijani Turkic speakers in Iran, this day serves as a stark reminder of state-enforced linguistic oppression. Despite making up an estimated 25 to 35 million with some estimates suggesting as many as 40 million of Iran’s population, South Azerbaijanis face severe restrictions on their language, which is systematically excluded from education, government, and media in favor of Persian, the country’s sole official language.
While Iranian authorities publicly claim to respect ethnic and cultural diversity, their policies reflect a different reality. Mother-tongue education is banned, the publication of Azerbaijani Turkish books and newspapers is restricted, and activists advocating for linguistic rights are frequently arrested and imprisoned. Even high-ranking officials are not immune to these restrictions. On February 17, 2025, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was warned by authorities while reciting Turkish poetry at the closing ceremony of Tabriz Culture Week in Tehran. Pezeshkian, who had initially attended as a guest, was asked by the audience to recite lines from Mohammad Hussein Behcet Tabrizi, known as Shahriar, a revered Azerbaijani poet. However, authorities objected to him speaking in Turkish, citing the presence of non-Turkish speakers, and handed him a warning note as he recited Greetings to Heyder Baba in Azerbaijani Turkish. Pezeshkian responded with a smile, saying, “No problem, nothing will happen by reading two Turkish poems,” which was met with applause from the audience.
This incident underscores the deep-seated restrictions on linguistic expression in Iran, affecting not only activists and ordinary citizens but even the highest political figures. The government’s resistance to allowing public use of Azerbaijani Turkish illustrates its broader cultural and linguistic suppression policy.
Historical Context: The Roots of Linguistic Suppression
The systematic suppression of non-Persian languages in Iran dates back to the Pahlavi dynasty (1925-1979) when Reza Shah Pahlavi launched an aggressive campaign to eliminate regional languages and enforce Persianization. Under these policies, Azerbaijani Turkish, Kurdish, Balochi, and Arabic were removed from schools and official documents, while public use of non-Persian languages was actively discouraged. Even ethnic names were altered to conform to Persian linguistic norms, reinforcing the state’s monolingual agenda.
Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iranian government formally acknowledged linguistic diversity in Article 15 of the Constitution, allowing regional languages in literature and media. However, these rights have been systematically ignored in practice, and Persian remains the sole language of instruction, governance, and legal proceedings. Iranian authorities frequently argue that recognizing non-Persian languages in public life could encourage separatism, but historical evidence contradicts this claim. In many multilingual countries, granting linguistic rights has strengthened national unity rather than undermined it.
The Iranian government’s approach to language policy reflects a broader strategy of ethnic assimilation, in which the denial of mother-tongue education and the suppression of minority languages serve as tools to weaken regional identities. As a result, millions of South Azerbaijanis have been forced into linguistic assimilation, limiting their ability to engage with their own cultural and literary heritage.
Linguistic Discrimination and the Ban on Mother-Tongue Education
One of the most detrimental aspects of Iran’s language policies is the prohibition of mother-tongue education, which disproportionately affects Azerbaijani Turkish-speaking students. Under government mandates, all formal education is conducted exclusively in Persian, forcing millions of Azerbaijani children to abandon their native language in academic settings. This policy has led to significant educational disadvantages, cultural disconnection, and increased dropout rates, creating a systemic barrier to equal opportunities for ethnic minorities.
The consequences of this policy are evident in national education statistics. Over 65 percent of students who repeat grades in Iran come from non-Persian-speaking backgrounds, highlighting the negative impact of linguistic barriers in education. Even though more than 42 percent of Iran’s population speaks a non-Persian mother tongue, Persian remains the sole language of instruction in schools, depriving millions of students of the right to learn in their native language. Research has consistently shown the benefits of mother-tongue education. A 2024 PubMed study found that students who receive instruction in their first language perform better academically and develop stronger cognitive abilities than those forced to study in a second language.
By excluding Azerbaijani Turkish from the education system, the Iranian government is deliberately eroding linguistic diversity, ensuring that future generations will be unable to read, write, or communicate fluently in their ancestral language. This policy not only accelerates cultural assimilation but also marginalizes entire communities, restricting their access to higher education, economic opportunities, and full participation in Iranian society. The continued suppression of mother-tongue education reflects a broader effort to enforce Persian linguistic dominance, effectively denying millions of citizens their fundamental right to preserve their cultural and linguistic identity.
Cultural Suppression and Political Repression
The Iranian government’s linguistic policies are part of a wider campaign of cultural suppression, which extends beyond the education system into media, literature, and political activism. Publications in Azerbaijani Turkish face severe censorship, with authorities routinely blocking or revoking publishing licenses for books, newspapers, and academic research. Cultural events celebrating Azerbaijani history and literature are frequently shut down, while activists promoting Turkic identity are arrested and imprisoned under the pretext of national security concerns.
The Iranian government’s crackdown on Azerbaijani language activists has been particularly harsh. In recent years, thousands of activists have been detained, tortured, or even killed for advocating linguistic and cultural rights. Among those arrested was Alireza Farshi, a prominent Azerbaijani activist who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for distributing Turkish-language books to children. Even President Masoud Pezeshkian’s recent public recitation of Azerbaijani poetry triggered a response from authorities, highlighting the state’s ongoing resistance to linguistic diversity.
The ongoing criminalization of language activism reflects a broader pattern of political repression in Iran, where ethnic minority movements seeking equal cultural rights are met with state violence and judicial persecution. Azerbaijani Turkish activists, along with Kurdish and Baluchi minority advocates, have been subjected to years of systematic oppression, including arbitrary arrests, forced disappearances, and lengthy prison sentences. The Iranian state has consistently denied minority groups the right to express their linguistic identity, often framing language activism as a separatist threat to justify security crackdowns.
The suppression of the Azerbaijani Turkic language in Iran is part of a broader strategy of ethnic and cultural assimilation, directly violating international human rights standards. Despite constitutional promises of linguistic diversity, the Iranian government enforces Persian as the only official language, systematically denying millions of citizens their fundamental right to preserve their language and identity.
The recent incident involving Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in which he was warned while reciting Azerbaijani poetry, underscores the depth of Iran’s linguistic repression. If even a sitting president faces restrictions on publicly expressing linguistic identity, the situation for ordinary Azerbaijani speakers and activists is even more alarming. Continued linguistic repression will not only result in cultural loss but also fuel ethnic resentment and strengthen separatist movements, increasing the likelihood of long-term political instability.
[Photo by Arshia emd, via Wikimedia Commons]
Babek Chalabi, a PhD student in IT and a South Azerbaijani activist based in Washington, D.C., is the founder of ArazNews.org, a platform dedicated to raising awareness about South Azerbaijani issues. Chalabi actively shares insights on Twitter at @BabekChelebi. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of The Geopolitics.
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