May 22nd statement of the South Azerbaijan Republic Party (SARP) on the 18th anniversary of the South Azerbaijan National Uprising
Dear our great nation,
For 18 years now, 22nd of May 2006 which is written in golden letters in the history of the national movement of South Azerbaijan, has been celebrated as the commemoration day of the “National Uprising”.
For this purpose, this date is considered as a special day for our national movement by the SARP, which emerged from the heart of the Azerbaijan National Movement. Because the Azerbaijani nation, which has been fighting for its national identity for 99 years, revealed its national power and national identity with the “National Uprising” on 22nd of May 2006.
22nd of May 2006 date of “National Uprising” was a turning point on the way of our nation’s return to its national identity, and it was also a reverse slap of the national movement to the ideology of Iranism and the Persian regime.
On 22nd of May 2006 “Teachers, doctors, farmers, merchants, workers, students, workers who openly were disregarded until the National Uprising, Iranian regime took away our mother tongue and national identity, looted their wealth and invested it in Persian regions. Iranian regime exposed our nation to environmental and national terror, treat our homeland as a source of foreign exploitation, turn our homeland into its own colony, keep our people away from education and technological development, and continuously and systematically in the press organs of the regime It was a historic day when our nation said stop to the regime of the murderous Mullah who tried to humiliate our nation by comparing to insects and animals.
We South Azerbaijan Republican Party evaluate 22nd of May 2006 the National Uprising date as a struggle of our nation from two aspects, according to its national and political direction:
National Perspective
1. From the national point of view, South Azerbaijani National uprising for the first time covered not only one region, but all the regions of South Azerbaijan, not only showed the regime the real strength of the national movement, but also revealed the confidence of our nation in its own strength. Also, our nation has shown that Azerbaijan will protect its national existence by claiming the concept of homeland and Turkish national identity. The inability of the political forces and organizations in the name of the National Movement to stand before the nation with a unified position was the reason that prevented the uprising from turning into a national coup. If we had clear strategic goals of maintaining political organization and national unity, it would have led to the continuous and rapid development of the movement in the later periods of the uprising.
Political Perspective
2. From a political point of view, this uprising did not receive regional support. Because the rise of the South Azerbaijan National Movement will play an important key role in regional changes, the political segment of the Turkic world did not correctly evaluate it from the point of view of national interest. If the political evaluation and support in this direction were correct at that time, the national movement would have affected different changes in the region today. As a result, those who created obstacles for the Zangezur corridor today would have lost their value at that time. The inability to properly evaluate these approaches caused geopolitical factors that prevented the implementation of the policy of the union of Turkic states, which is being followed in the region today. Although it was forgotten at that time that the Turkish union and the Turan bloc, which will become a regional political power, was the foundation of the South Azerbaijani national movement, this reality is now known to everyone. Because there will be development and stability in the region without the freedom of South Azerbaijan is just a fantasy. Both Northern Azerbaijan and the national political segment of Turkey should appreciate this, even if it is too late. Because unless the values of independence and republic exist in South Azerbaijan, the administrative power of the region will be in the hands of the occupying imperialist forces. For this reason, the South Azerbaijan National Movement insists on building its political power on national values. Because no agreement with Tehran and its occupation regime will bring prosperity or success to the region and our nation.
Thus, 22nd of May 2006 “Although 18 years have passed since the National Uprising, we should not forget the national and political lessons and achievements that we should learn as a nation, and we should classify them as follows and always remember them.
1. This uprising once again showed the world that our nation is still standing despite the most severe repressions, tortures and prisons, and revealed that the independence struggle of South Azerbaijan continues with all its might. For 18 years, the Azerbaijani national movement, which has entered a new era and stage, has been resisting all anti-Turkish attacks and anti-Azerbaijani policies of openly Persian-Iranian and racist thinkers.
2. In this uprising, as millions of Azerbaijanis joined and spread to all regions of South Azerbaijan, both the Iranian occupation regime and the whole world saw the real power of the national movement. The national movement not only showed the Iranian occupation regime, which challenged the world with this uprising, how weak it is, but also showed that the national will and strength are stronger than the armed forces with cannons and atomic bombs.
3. For 18 years now, the Azerbaijani national movement has been advancing by resisting all the anti-Turkish and anti-Azerbaijani policies of Persian-Iranian thinkers. Powerless before the power of the South Azerbaijan national movement, the Iranian occupation regime tried to divide the South Azerbaijan national movement by resorting to various tricks so that it could not reach further goals. At the same time, Iran’s opposition forces have drawn Azerbaijan into their country against the regime and tried to use Azerbaijan as a victim. For this purpose, they wanted to assimilate our nation by joining non-national movements like “Green Movement” and “Mahsa Amini”. But our forüard-looking nation not only did not participate in any of them during this period, but also declared once again that it is not a player of Iran and Iranianism. Because after 22nd of May 2006, our nation decided to stand up only for its independence and the restoration of its national state. They show this clearly in their political attitudes. “I am neither supporter of a royal monarchy regime nor a fundamental religious regime , I am a nationalist. Freedom, justice, national government, independence, freedom, national republic.”
4. The effects and gains of the 2006 May Uprising can be clearly seen today in the thinking and philosophy of life of the new generation. In the last few years, the occupying Iranian regime, which has become powerless and alarmed in front of the national movement of South Azerbaijan, is now intensifying its policies of confronting our nation with ethnic problems. For this purpose, he aimed to create so-called ethnic events such as Karabakh on the Caspian coast (Heyran, Anzali, Astara) and West Azerbaijan Province, and to draw the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Turkey into these games. This was once again confirmed by the events of the last elections. However, our nation and especially our youth became aware of this game and showed that it has the knowledge and power to disrupt the political games established by the regime. Azerbaijan’s successful respond against Iran’s parliamentary election games in March 2024 is an example of high moral and political awareness in this regard.
5. At the same time, the May Uprising became a consolidation point of the Azerbaijani national liberation movement. The Iranian occupying regime is trying to create discord among the national organizations and politicians of South Azerbaijan, and even to attract people and organizations to the service of the regime with various promises, in order to leave the National movement without a leader, to prevent the organization of the movement and the nation, to empty the movement ideologically and to destroy it more easily. We see the same anti-Azerbaijani activities on the side of the Iranian opposition.
But after this uprising, our nation, which marched to the squares chanting the slogans “Azerbaijan be united, let those who don’t want to be blind”, “Either freedom or death”, “I’m a Turk, let’s be one, let’s be one, let those who don’t want to be blind” shows that he is only connected to the spirit of “Azerbaijan’s freedom”.
The national movement for the freedom of Azerbaijan is a great force that will stand against the power of the Iranian occupation regime, they gave martyrs and wounded, 22nd of May 2006 “National Uprising” once again confirmed.
The 22nd of May 2006 national uprising is also the first beginning of the new 28th of May struggle for republicanism in the history of Azerbaijan, which will shine in South Azerbaijan. For this purpose, as SARP, we would like our entire nation to fight till the last drop of blood on the way to achieve independence and republic without following the intrigues and sweet promises of the Iranian occupation regime.
Bargaining with the Iranian forces, Tehran and its allies after this hour should be considered a historical betrayal of our nation and our national movement. For nearly a hundred years, our nation in South Azerbaijan has been giving martyrs, prisoners, and sacrifices on the way to its freedom. It is the duty of conscience of every Azerbaijani citizen to act stronger and more determined for the bloodshed on this movement.
We, as South Azerbaijani Republic Party and all lovers of Azerbaijan, look at the historical past written in golden letters in our national movement 18 years ago, and call everyone who is related to the national will and thought of this and that country to the national unity around our national movement!
May God have mercy on all the heroic martyrs of our national uprising and holy Azerbaijan cause. May their paths continue and their souls be happy.
South Azerbaijan Republic Party (SARP) Tabriz city
20th of May 2024