To His Excellency Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, Open Appeal on behalf of the South Azerbaijan Liberation Party
18 September 2025
Your Excellency, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,
23 September / 1 Mehr marks the beginning of the new academic year in Iran. Unfortunately, this date does not represent joy for millions of our innocent children in South Azerbaijan, but rather a day of national suffering. Under a regime that seeks to present itself as the caliphate of Islam, the right to education in the mother tongue remains prohibited for nearly 70 percent of the population. At the same time, Lake Urmia — the national symbol of our people and a vital ecological resource of the region — has been brought to the brink of destruction as a result of deliberate state policies.
The pressure upon our language and natural heritage is not only a matter of concern for South Azerbaijan but also for the entire Turkic world. Türkiye’s international influence and leadership within the Turkic world can play a decisive role in bringing such issues to the global agenda.
Mr. President, we, the South Azerbaijan Liberation Party (SALP), respectfully request that Your Excellency:
Strongly defend the right of South Azerbaijanis to mother-tongue education in international platforms;
Accelerate diplomatic initiatives for the protection and restoration of Lake Urmia;
Cooperate with UNESCO, the United Nations, and other relevant international institutions to exert urgent and sustained pressure for the resolution of this matter.
The unity of the Turkic world is not only possible through political and economic cooperation, but also through the protection of our language, culture, and natural heritage. For this reason, Türkiye’s support today represents for us both a moral and a strategic pillar.
With respect,
South Azerbaijan Liberation Party (SALP)
Chairman — Eldar Garadaghli
