Whole Azerbaijan
Whole Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Bütöv Azərbaycan) is an irredentist concept of uniting Azerbaijani-inhabited and historically controlled territories into Azerbaijan.
The idea of "Whole Azerbaijan" was formulated by Piruz Dilanchi in 1991 and defined in 1992 by Azerbaijani president Abulfaz Elchibey (s. 1992-93). In 1991 Dilanchi founded the SANLM nationalist organization and in 1997 Elchibey founded the "Whole Azerbaijan Union" (Bütöv Azərbaycan Birliyi) organization.[1][2] Elchibey published his book on the idea, Bütöv Azərbaycan yolunda, in Turkey in 1998; it was argued that the borders of Azerbaijan should extend from Derbent to the Persian Gulf,[3][dubious – discuss] according to him a territory of Azerbaijani historical ethnic presence,[4] over which Azerbaijan had right to rule, with a proposed system of governance called "United Azerbaijani Lands" (Birləşmiş Azərbaycan Yurdları).[3] In his views published postmortem in 2002, he opposed the idea of a separate and independent South Azerbaijan.[5][dubious – discuss]
The term Whole Azerbaijan is still preserved in a number of political initiatives including the SANLM (CAMAH) and Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party.[citation needed] Although the boundaries of Whole Azerbaijan are not strictly defined, some proponents portray them as encompassing the following areas[6][dubious – discuss]:
- Southern Azerbaijan (Cənubi Azərbaycan) -
Northern Iran, the provinces of East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Zanjan and Ardabil - Western Azerbaijan (Qərbi Azərbaycan) -
all the territory of the Republic of Armenia - Derbent (Dərbənd) -
Derbent district, Republic of Dagestan - Borchali (Borçalı) -
Part of the Kvemo Kartli province of Georgia - Iğdır Province -
Eastern Anatolia Region, Turkey
See also
References
- ^ Arif Keskin, Arif Keskin, Güney Azerbaycan Milli Demokratik Hareketi Yol Ayrımında, TÜRKSAM Azərbaycan Stratejik Araşdırma Mərkəzi, February 6, 2003
- ^ http://sanlm.org/meramname.php Program of South Azerbaijan National Liberation Movement
- ^ a b Satranç Tahtasında Azerbaycan ve Farsistan Arif Rehmoğlu, Avrasya Dosyası, Avrasya Stratejik Araştırmalar Merkezi, Spring 200], Ankara
- ^ "Böyük Azərbaycan tarixən şimalda Dərbənddən başlayıb, Həmədan mərkəz olmaqla Bəsrə körfəzinədək uzanırdı" Bütöv Azərbaycan yolunda, Əbülfəz Elchibey, Ecdad Yayınları, Ankara, 1998
- ^ Bütöv Azərbaycan Haqqında, Yeni Müsavat newspaper, Baku, 2002
- ^ Bütöv Azərbaycan Haritası
External links
- "Diaspora agrees to reintegrate Iranian Azerbaijan in Republic of Azerbaijan". abc.az. Retrieved 30 August 2012.