Talysh: Talysh - An Iranian Ethnic Group

Azerbaijan attempting to Eradicate Iranian-Talysh

According to a highly disputed 1926 census, there were 77,039 in the "Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan" - a fictitious country made from stolen Iranian land. From 1959 to 1989, the Talysh were not included as a separate ethnic group in any census, but rather they were included as part of the Turkic-speaking Azerbaijani's, although the Talysh speak an Iranian language. In 1999, the Azerbaijani government again falsely claimed there were only 76,800 Talysh in Azerbaijan, but this is believed to be a gross under-representation given the political problems with registering as a Talysh. Some claim that the population of the Talysh inhabiting the southern regions of Azerbaijan is 500,000. [See Hema Kotecha, Islamic and Ethnic Identities in Azerbaijan: Emerging trends and tensions, OSCE, Baku, July 2006.]

Talysh leaders have always asserted that the number of Talysh in Azerbaijan is substantially higher than the official statistics, perhaps as high as 800,000.

See “Talysh”, in: Ethnologue.com

http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=tly ; Reasons for the dispute around the number of Talysh in Azerbaijan:

One Europe, Many Nations: A Historical Dictionary of European National Groups, by James Minahan, Greenwood, 2000, ISBN 0313309841, ISBN 9780313309847, p. 674 (viewable on Google Books).

Obtaining accurate statistics is difficult, due to the unavailability of reliable sources, due to forced assimilation by Azerbaijan in an effort to ethnically cleanse speakers of Iranian languages, such as the Talysh. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty have voiced their concerns about the arrest of Novruzali Mamedov, Chairman of the Talysh Cultural Centre and editor-in-chief of the "Tolyshi Sado" newspaper. He was arrested and tried in the court of 'grave crimes,' after the newspaper published articles showing well known Persian poet Nezami, and Iranian historical hero Babak Khoramdin as Talysh.

"AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES ACCUSED OF DISCRIMINATING AGAINST ETHNIC MINORITIES: In a statement addressed to foreign diplomatic representations in Baku, Khilal Mamedov, who heads a committee to defend the right of Novruzali Mamedov, the arrested editor of the Talysh-language newspaper "Tolyshi sado," accused the Azerbaijani leadership of Turkic nationalism and of seeking to suppress non-Turkic minorities, including the Talysh, an Iranian ethnic group, day.az reported on July 10. He said the Azerbaijani leadership seeks to minimize contacts between the Talysh communities in Azerbaijan and Iran and to run Azerbaijan into a monoethnic state. Novruzali Mamedov was arrested five months ago and has been formally charged with spying for Iran (see "RFE/RL Newsline," February 20, 2007)."