More than 130 Azeri-language newspapers and magazines are published in Iran, Afshar Suleymani, the Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan, told journalists, Trend reports.
The ambassador expressed his attitude towards depriving Azerbaijanis living in Iran of their rights to write and read in native language and absence of Azeri-language schools. The representatives of all peoples living in Iran are the citizens of this country. They have certifications confirming their Iranian citizenship. And they exercise their rights. They keep their national traditions and languages and publish newspapers and magazines in their own languages. More than 13 newspapers and magazines are issued in Iran. As well as, Azeri-language programs are transmitted with the television, the ambassador told.
Suleymani explained the absence of Azeri-language schools in Iran. According to Sulaymani, this issue is connected with the issue that the official language of Iran is - fars. It was stipulated in the Iranian constitution that the official language of Iran is fars. Therefore, the citizens unified by this language are in correspondence with this language and mass media are published in fars language. However, for each people living in various regions of Iran are provided with programs in their own languages. For instance, Azeri-language programs are broadcasted with television in Tabriz and Urmiya. Azerbaijanis write, read and watch television programs in their native language. And the absence of the Azeri-language schools are related with the issue that everybody officially write in a united language. Everybody speaks in streets in their native languages, he added.