Azerbaijan finds another reason to slam Iran

February 22, 2011 - 14:46 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijan's opposition Party of Citizens and Development (PCD) adopted a statement with respect to International Day of Native Language marked annually on February 21. In it, PCD protested against “oppressions, to which the Azerbaijani language is subjected in Iran.”

“Azerbaijani Turks, which reside on their historical land and make over half of the country’s population, do not have a school in Azerbaijani language on the territory referred to as Iran. For 85 years, the citizens of non-Persian nationality are deprived of the opportunity in Iran to be educated, publish newspapers and magazines, hold cultural events in their mother tongue, as well as develop their language and culture,” reads the statement, according to 1news.az.

The statement denies not only Iran’s right to pursue its own internal policy, but also its name – see the phrase ‘referred to as Iran’. Despite the assurances of official Baku that there are not “discrepancies between the two brotherly countries,” the situation is quite different.

The ongoing protest actions at the Iranian embassies in various countries, far-fetched accusations about alleged “Iran’s interference in Azerbaijan’s domestic affairs” prove the contrary. While the boosting ties between Armenia and Iran irritate Baku. Under the circumstances, any action of Tehran is assessed in Baku as an anti-Azerbaijani.

Since Azerbaijan will not launch an open confrontation with its neighbor, it can resort only to petty annoyances of marginal parties.