"Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami's writing that Nizami Ganjavi is a Persian poet is true. Nizami wrote and created his works in Persian, he didn't have even one work in Azerbaijani," Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Afshar Suleymani told journalists. Expressing his support for the former Iranian president's stance that Nizami is a Persian poet, Suleymani also said there is no evidence to prove that Nizami wrote in Azerbaijani. "Nizami didn't write in Azerbaijani. Nizami wrote in Persian but these poems were translated into Azerbaijani later," the Ambassador said. The Iranian ambassador also claimed that Shahriyar is not an Azerbaijani poet either, reports APA.

Azerbaijanization of Persian culture and art workers began in Azerbaijan in 60s, when Heydar Aliyev came to power first as Chairman of the KGB in Azerbaijan, and later as First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan.