In Yerevan, organizers of conference on Talysh studies claim violation of rights of Talyshes living in Azerbaijan

Yerevan hosted the 2nd two-day international conference on Talysh studies dated to the 15th anniversary of the international magazine "Iran and Caucasus". The organizers of the conference emphasize that the event has no political orientation and represents a purely academic initiative; however, they claimed violation of rights of Talysh people living in Azerbaijan. At the same time, no representatives of Azerbaijan attended the conference.

Let us remind you that the conference started on November 12 and it was held under auspices of the Centre "Modus Vivendi" (Yerevan), the Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies (Yerevan), the International Association of Studies of Turkey, Iran and the Caucasus, and the ARMACAD (Armenian Association of Academic Cooperation and Assistance). The conference was attended by 45 scientists from Armenia, Russia, Iran, European countries, Canada and the USA.

According to Garnik Asatryan, the head of the Chair for Iranian studies at the Faculty of Oriental Studies of the Yerevan State University, the latest population census of Azerbaijan held in 2009 registered 112,000 (1.3 percent of the total population of Azerbaijan) Talysh nationals in the republic. However, according to the Talysh people, this figure is understated and it does not reflect the reality, since in passports and other documents Talysh people are stated to be Azerbaijanis.

Yase Karanzade, the member of the Council of the "Centre for Talysh Studies" in Iran, emphasizes that Talysh people living in Azerbaijan have problems. "As a result of anti-Talysh policy conducted by Azerbaijan, Talysh people have lost their culture; they have even no possibility to speak their own Talysh language. To speak Talysh in Azerbaijan is a sin," says Yase Karanzade.

He also stressed that Iran actively works to preserve the Talysh identity, culture and history for Azerbaijani Talysh people. A radio broadcasts at a certain frequency, it can be listened to in the Lankaran District of Azerbaijan and it tries to support the nationals.

In September of 2011 Ilham Shabanov, Chairman of the "Talysh Diaspora of Russia", made a statement condemning the conduct of the "Second International Conference on Talysh Studies" in Yerevan. He believes that some forces use the Talysh factor to create a geopolitical confrontation.

Ilham Shabanov also appealed to the leadership of Azerbaijan asking to create conditions for free scientific conferences and other events on conservation and development of traditions, language and culture of indigenous nations of the country.

Sabarz Guseinzade, the activist of the NGO "Project to Protect Rights of Talysh People", believes that rights of Talysh people and other indigenous nations are violated in Azerbaijan.

According to him, during the Soviet period, when ethnic policy was controlled by the Kremlin, Talysh people could hold high positions in the military and public spheres. "With the rise to power of Pan-Tyurkism followers and Turkic nationalist and chauvinists, this portion has declined sharply. For example, earlier, significant portion of top-ranking officials in the naval forces was represented by Talysh people. At present, the number of Talysh people at the position of captain is extremely small, not to mention the positions of admirals, and the downward trend continues to grow. The same is true for all other spheres," Sabarz Guseinzade emphasizes.

He believes that the Azerbaijani authorities should comply with their own constitutional laws and undertaken international obligations to ensure the rights of indigenous and other ethnic groups of the country, "abandoning dead-end ideas of forced assimilation and conversion of all nations to Turkic speaking ones with subsequent de-ethnicism." "They should understand that this policy is called ethnocide, that is, "white genocide" and that the international community treats it as a crime against humanity," the "NovostiNK.ru" quotes Sabarz Guseinzade as saying.

According to Fikret Sadykhov, the Azerbaijani political scientist, Professor of the Western University, in general, any multiethnic state can face allegations of minorities' oppression.

"A huge number of ethnic minorities lives in Azerbaijan; they live for many years quite comfortably, they face no oppression, receive necessary education, and no assimilation threatens them," the "Vestnik Kavkaza" (Bulletin of the Caucasus) quotes Fikret Sadykhov as saying.