Jahandar Bayoghlu: "U.S. opposed to ethnic Azeri struggle"

"The regime in Iran is trying to purposefully link the Turkic movement to the USA, with the main goal to prevent Turks represented in the authorities from joining it. They imply that the people would not support a US-backed movement considering their national pride," Jahandar Bayoghlu said.

There have been a series of massive protests in Iran's northern provinces since state-owned newspaper Iran published a cartoon that insulted ethnic Azeris. Scores are said to have died or received severe injuries during the dispersal of the demonstrations.
Bayoghlu said the reports that the U.S. allocated $75m for the movement are wide off the mark and that the movement is not receiving foreign funding at all.

Bayoghlu said the U.S. is providing ample financial aid to television channels involving ethnic Kurds, while the Gunaz TV channel is deprived of such assistance and is facing a financial crisis. After the developments in Iraq [US-led war], the ethnic Azeris in South Azerbaijan started rejecting US policy, the committee chairman said.

"On the contrary, USA is against the South Azerbaijan movement. This is proven by the fact that they remained silent after what happened. The United States did not respond in any way to the arrests and beatings of Azeris. The world media did not cover the developments either. All this indicates that the USA is against this movement."

Bayoghlu said international rights groups have also turned a blind eye to the unrest in Iran and that this shows they work 'on orders'.

The committee chair said that unlike political parties, the rights organizations in Azerbaijan failed to react to the developments as well. "This proves that they are operating on the United States' behest."

Bayoghlu maintained that the Iranian government had allocated considerable funds to coerce local political parties, TV channels and newspapers that back the movement in north Iran.

He emphasized that ethnic Azeris continue their struggle in Iran despite numerous arrests.

Bayoghlu said the struggle of ethnic Azeris in Iran started as a student movement on May 8 and further expanded. According to reports, some 50 people have died, while 1,000 were injured and tens of thousands of others arrested during the unrest, he added.

/AzerNEWS/