Azerbaijani to build language and literature academy in Iran
By Sara Rajabova
An Iranian province governor said an Azerbaijani language academy will be established in Iran.
New governor of Iran's East Azerbaijan province Esmaeil Jabbarzadeh said he was tasked to establish the Academy of Azerbaijani Language and Literature, Entekhab News portal reported.
Jabbarzadeh said that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had made a promise about establishing an Azerbaijani language and literature academy, saying he would try to realize that promise.
Rouhani promised to provide Iranian Azerbaijanis with an Azerbaijani language academy in Iran in his presidential campaign.
Jabbarzadeh urged Azerbaijani language and literature experts to help him in this regard.
He also emphasized the right of Iranian ethnic minorities to be educated in their mother tongue.
Millions of Iran's ethnic Azerbaijanis do not have the right to study in their mother tongue.
The official population of the four Azerbaijani-inhabited provinces (Eastern and Western Azerbaijan, Ardabil, and Zanjan) is about 10 million, with a few million ethnic Azerbaijanis living in Gilan and Khorasan provinces, and Tehran and other cities.
According to some sources, it is estimated that over 13 million Azerbaijanis live in Iran. Other sources report over 18 million, while other, unofficial estimates put the figure at up to 24 million.
Earlier, Education Minister Ali Asghar Fani announced that teaching ethnic languages at Iranian schools was a priority for the ministry.
He went on to note that it was time to execute the article 15 of Iran's Constitution.
According to the article, the official language of Iran is Persian and the use of regional and tribal languages in the press and mass media and for teaching their literature at schools is allowed.
In a decree issued on October 3, Rouhani appointed former Intelligence Minister Ali Younesi as the special aide for the affairs of ethnic groups and religious minorities.
It is the first time an Iranian President appoints an aide for the affairs of ethnic groups and religious minorities.
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