Statement of the South Azerbaijan Liberation Party
In Response to the Interventionist Remarks of Ali Akbar Velayati
The recent remarks by Ali Akbar Velayati, international affairs advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, regarding the Republic of Azerbaijan’s hosting of the European Rabbis Conference, are not only devoid of modern political logic but once again reflect Tehran’s regressive and interventionist view toward Azerbaijan’s national sovereignty and independent policies. These comments also signal Iran’s discomfort with every positive diplomatic step taken by Baku and its tendency to interfere in the internal affairs of neighboring countries.
Velayati, one of the key architects of the Islamic Republic’s expansionist and crisis-driven foreign policy over the past four decades once again attempts to link a cultural-religious event to conspiratorial narratives using outdated and reactionary ideological rhetoric. He has labeled the gathering of European Jewish leaders in Baku as “boundary-breaking” and “against Shiite dignity.”
This is despite the fact that the Republic of Azerbaijan, a majority-Shiite country, has for years been a successful model of religious coexistence, respect for diversity, and constructive engagement with global communities.
• Velayati’s remarks are a clear example of interference in Azerbaijan’s cultural and diplomatic affairs. Azerbaijan is a sovereign nation that maintains its independence with strength, and its foreign policy is determined by the national and strategic interests of the Azerbaijani people, not by the ideological dictates of a regime in crisis. We will not allow any power to humiliate or threaten us.
• By manipulating religious concepts to suit his agenda, Velayati seeks to subordinate Shiism to Tehran’s monopolistic policies. In contrast, Shiism in Azerbaijan reflects a spirit of tolerance, rationality, and respect for other faiths, presenting a humanistic and global face.
• Hosting international religious conferences is a sign of Azerbaijan’s diplomatic and cultural maturity, and it stands in stark contrast to Tehran’s closed, monopolistic, and conflict-driven approach.
• The claim of defending Shiism by a regime that has long carried out the harshest repressions against Shiite Turks in South Azerbaijan, against freedom-seeking ideas, and against the human rights of its own oppressed citizens, is nothing but political hypocrisy.
• Velayati’s history of anti-Turkic positions and his repeated insults toward the Azerbaijani nation are well known. These latest remarks continue the same ideological line that threatens the cultural and political independence of Turkic peoples.
• Through such initiatives, the Republic of Azerbaijan demonstrates to the world that it can serve as a bridge between religions, cultures, and nations. This is precisely what Tehran fears because
Baku’s open and global outlook exposes the failure of Iran’s closed ideological model. The South Azerbaijan Liberation Party firmly declares:
➢ Velayati’s statements reflect the fear and failure of an isolated regime, not a realistic analysis of regional politics.
➢ We fully support the independent, modern, and multilateral foreign policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
➢ The Islamic Republic must understand that the era of “guardianship” over nations is over. Azerbaijan will never allow Tehran’s interventionists to interfere in its destiny.
The South Azerbaijan Liberation Party proudly supports the policies of the Republic of Azerbaijan and President Ilham Aliyev in the fields of religious diplomacy, interfaith coexistence, and global engagement. Hosting the European Rabbis Conference is not only a sign of Baku’s political and cultural maturity, but also a powerful response to religious extremism and ideological monopolism in the region.
With this initiative, Azerbaijan once again affirms its role in building a modern Turkic civilization, establishing itself as a bridge between East and West, Islam and Judaism, tradition and modernity.
The South Azerbaijan Liberation Party warns that the Azerbaijani people will not allow any foreign official or institution to question their cultural and political independence through threats or insults. We stand firmly against all colonial and demeaning perspectives, and we fully support the modern, humanistic, and global policies of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Today, Baku is the capital of interfaith coexistence, while Tehran has become a symbol of repression, discrimination, and crisis-making in the Islamic world. This historic contrast is a practical and resounding response to all of Velayati’s claims and to those who share his views.
South Azerbaijan Liberation Party
Head of Political Department: Ali Eshghi BalaTürk
15.09.2025
