Azeri historian: The term "Azerbaijanis" was coined in 1930's

PanARMENIAN.Net - "We cannot have national ideology unless we are certain about our national self-identification," Doctor of History Farid Alekperli, Department Head at Azerbaijan's National Academy of Sciences, says in an article entitled "Who are We? Where do we come from, and Where do we Go". The article was published in Saturday's issue of "Zerkalo" Azerbaijani newspaper.



Before the 1930s' Stalin reforms, the notion "Azerbaijanis" did not simply exist, Azeri historian says, noting further that the term was coined in the late 1930s by the great repressor's will. Until 1936, People in the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan (1918-1920) and Azerbaijani Soviet Republic were officially known as Turks, he notes.



"Having lost their national self-identification, we got stuck in debates on who we are, i.e. whether we descend from Sumerians, Talish tribes, Albanians, Medes or some other ethnic group. There'll be no end to such tiresome and stupid debates unless we recognize that our true ethnic origins are disguised behind the featureless term 'Azerbaijanis'. We descend mostly from Turks, as well as Kurds, Tats, Lezghins etc."



"Armenians, Persians and other nations still call us Turks," Alekperli underlines.



Bringing the example of Arab states and Iranian Azeris, who "have been calling themselves 'Turks' from time immemorial", the historian expresses conviction that no one confuses them with the Turks living in Turkey.



Alekperli is concerned that use of the artificial term "Azerbaijanis" may result in the loss of national identity, assimilation to Russians and Western nations and eventually, it may lead to mancurtization, especially under the pressures of globalization policy.