FOUR TURKIC NATIONS IN IRAN, THEIR HOMELANDS, SELF-DESIGNATIONS / ENDOETHNONYMS AND NATIONAL FLAGS
https://sozumuz1.blogspot.com/2026/01/four-turkic-nations-in-iran-their.html
İRAN’DA BULUNAN DÖRT TÜRKİK MİLLET, ANA VATANLARI, ÖZ TANIMLAMALARI / KENDİNİ ADLANDIRMALARI VE MİLLİ BAYRAKLARI
https://sozumuz1.blogspot.com/2022/06/iranda-bulunan-turkik-milletleri.html
MÉHRAN BAHARLI
«سؤزوموز،
مئهران باهارلینین یازقالاری توپلوسو» پیتییی، بیرینجی جیلددهن
“Sözümüz,
Méhran Baharlının yazqalar toplusu” pitiyinden, cild I
از کتاب « سؤزوموز، مجموعه مقالات مئهران باهارلی» - جلد اول
https://independent.academia.edu/MBaharli
https://sozumuz1.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579230999069
Nations, National Minorities, and National Regions: Within the borders of present-day Iran, there are four Turkic National Groups: "TURK" (Western Oghuz), "TURKMEN" (Eastern Oghuz), "HALAJ", and "KAZAKH". The classification of these Turkic national groups is based on principles such as their own Endoethnonym (Autoethnonym, Self-Identification, Self-Nomination, Self-Designation), the language and dialect spectrum they currently speak, common history, etc., and not on the basis of racial purity. Each of these Turkic national groups is composed, to varying degrees, of a mixture of various Turkic and Mongolic groups, as well as certain indigenous and immigrant groups, like most nations. For example, the Turkish nation in Iran (West Oghuz) is heavily mixed with Eastern Turkics (Karluks), Mongolics, and, to a lesser extent, Northern Turkics (Kipchaks). However, it is classified as Western Oghuz, because the main characteristic of its current language is Western Oghuzic.
Out of these four Turkic national groups, the "Turkish" national group has at least three homelands or “National Regions” in Iran: "Turkili" in the northwest, "Afsharili" in the northeast, and "Qashqayili" in the south of Iran.
On the other hand, the "Khalaj" and "Turkmen" national groups each have only one National Region in Iran, namely "Khalajorda" in northwestern Iran towards its center, and "Turkmenyurt" in the northeast Iran. Because these three Turkic national groups - Turk, Turkmen, and Halaj - have national regions within Iran, they are considered "NATION"s, similar to other groups such as Persians, Arabs, Lors, Balochs, Kurds, and Lars, all of whom have their own National Regions within Iran.
However, the "Kazakh" national group, lives in and around the city of Gümbet, located within the Turkmen National Region (Turkmenyurt), and does not have its own national homeland within the country. So, it has the status of a “NATIONAL MINORITY”, similar to the Armenian, Jewish, Assyrian, and Roma national minorities, which do not have any National Regions within Iran, and are not considered a National Group.
The Issue
with "istan": The suffix "istan" (and
the Arabic "iyya") means province, state, or country, and has its
roots in Iranic languages. It is not included in the names of Turkic national
regions. Instead, Turkish terms such as "İl/İli",
"Yurt/Yurtu", "Yer/Yeri", and "Ordu/Orda" are
used for this purpose: Kazakili (Kazakhstan), Türkmenili and Turkmenyurt (Turkmenistan),
Özbekili (Uzbekistan), Tatarili (Tatarstan), Kırgızili (Kyrgyzstan), Başkurtili
(Bashkortostan), etc. These terms are similar to "Oron", "Uls”,
and “Qazar" in Mongolian; "Ország" in Hungarian; and the
Sumerian prefixes "Ki" and "Kelem" that are linked to
Proto-Altaic languages.
Misnomers / xenonyms / exonyms used in Türkiye and the Republic of Azerbaijan: Türkiye and the Republic of Azerbaijan are among the countries that have the most inaccurate information about the Turkic peoples living in Iran. The knowledge about Iranian Turkics in these countries is largely based on false assumptions, prejudices, misconceptions, wishful thinking, and the products of colonial nation-building projects of anti-Turk Western and Crusader imperialist states, as well as Pan-Iranism. For example, instead of using the historical, true, original, and correct orthonyms / endoethnoyms while referring to the Turkish nation living in Iran or part of it, Türkiye and the Republic of Azerbaijan use the fake, fabricated, and false misnomers, xenonyms, and exonyms such as Azeri, or Azerbaijani.
In an effort to address the inaccuracies and deficiencies mentioned above, including misnomers, xenonyms, and exonyms, this article presents the Endoethnonym (Autoethnonym, Self-identification, Self-nomination, Self-designation) of the four Turkic nations residing in Iran, along with the names of their homelands. The article also presents their national flags with historical backgrounds and significance, or proposed flags that have wide international acceptance and are commonly used.
THE TURKISH NATION:
Using "Turk" solely as an ethnic name for the Turks of Turkiye, and "Turkish" exclusively for the Turkish language of Turkiye, is incorrect.
In Iran, the Western Oghuz Turks have historically referred to themselves as "Turk" and continue to identify themselves solely as Turk. In other words, their endoethnonym or autoethnonym is Turk. Therefore, the name for the Turkish people living in Iran in foreign languages, in accordance with their self-designation, should absolutely be "Turk".
The Turkish people living in Iran refer to their language as "Türkü" or "Türküce" (sometimes, in certain dialects influenced by Persian as "Türké" or "Türki"). In Iran, "Turki" or "Turkish" is the general term used for all the eastern dialects of Western Oghuz spoken in that country. Therefore, following the self-designation of the Turkish people, the name of this language in foreign languages should also be "Turkish".
The "Turkman Dialect Group" and the "Khorasan Dialect Group".
There are two main dialect groups of Turkish in Iran: the "Turkman Dialect Group" and the "Khorasan Dialect Group". (Turkman and Turkmen are different concepts; see further in the article).
The Khorasan Group dialects are primarily spoken in the Afsharyurt national region in Khorasan. This dialect is also spoken in Ebiverd city in southern Iran. The correct name or orthonym for this dialect group in English is the "Khorasan dialects of Turkish" or "Khorasan Turkish," not "Khorasan Turkic."
The Turkman dialects, which constitute the majority, are spoken in Azerbaijan and other regions of Turkili (which also encompasses northwest Iran and adjacent areas of West and Central Iran). The Turkman dialects are widespread throughout the country and are spoken by all Turks except for the Khorasan Turks. The Turkman dialect group includes the dialects of the Qashqai tribal confederation in southern Iran, as well as all Turkish dialects in Central and Southern Iran. These dialects are not an independent southern branch of Oghuz Turkish, but rather a subgroup of the Turkman dialect group. The dialects spoken in eastern and southern Turkiye, Iraq, other areas in the Middle East, and the Southern Caucasus also belong to the Turkman dialect group. The Turkish "Songur dialect," spoken in and around the city of Songur and its surrounding areas in the Kermanshah province in the southeast region of Turkili, is a distinct and unique subgroup of the Turkman dialects.
The Turkman dialect of Turkish vs. Balkan dialects of Turkish: Western Oghuz has two branches or dialect groups: the Western Branch (Western Turkey, Cyprus, the Balkans, ...) and the Eastern Branch (Iran, the Middle East, the South Caucasus, ...). In the past, the Turkish dialects spoken in Turkili and other parts of Iran were collectively referred to as "Turkman (Turcoman)", sometimes Türkmânî. This distinction helped to avoid confusion between the eastern dialect group of Western Oghuz and the Balkan dialects, as well as its easternmost dialect, the Istanbul dialect, which belong to the western dialect group of Western Oghuz. When compared to the official language of Turkiye, i.e. Modern Turkish, it is most appropriate and scientifically sound to collectively refer to the Eastern group of dialects of Western Oghuz Turkish in Iran (excluding the Khorasan dialects) as "Turkman" dialects, or in English, “Turkman Turkish”.
When the last Turkish state in Iran, the Qajar (Kajar) state, was overthrown in 1925, the vast majority of the country's population was Turkish. According to some sources, even today, the Turkish people constitute a relative majority of the Iranian population, making up at least 40-45%.
The "Turkish nation," which ruled Iran for 1200 years, spread throughout the entire country during this period. As a result, there are now numerous scattered Turkish communities, villages, and cities all over Iran. Additionally, there are several Turkish National Regions in Iran where Turks reside densely and make up the majority of the population in each area. The three most important Turkish National Regions are as follows:
1- TURKILI (Persian: TORKÉSTANترکستان , TURKÜSTANتورکوستان , Arabic: TORKİYYEترکیّه ):
Turkili (Türkili) is a vast geographical region and national homeland located in the northwestern part of Iran, stretching towards the west and central areas. It encompasses all settlements where the majority of the population is Turkish. Turkili stretches from the borders of the Republic of Türkiye and the Republic of Azerbaijan into the interior of Iran, encompassing half of the city of Tehran. The name Turkili is the Turkish equivalent of the Persian word “Turkestan (Turkistan)” and the European “Turkland (Tyrkland)”. "Turkestan" has been used by many old and contemporary foreign sources including medieval Europeans, as well as by local sources, and the Turkish people themselves, to designate either the entirety of Turkili or some parts of it. The term “Turkland (Tyrkland)” is used in Nordic European texts from the 11th - 13th centuries, referring to the eastern parts of Anatolia, southern parts of Caucasia, and northwestern parts of Iran.
Divided Turkili (Türkili)
In Iran, administrative divisions are not based on linguistic or ethnic boundaries. Instead, each ethnic and linguistic national region has been divided among several provinces to promote the assimilation of the population into Persian culture. Many provinces have been artificially created to bring together different ethnic and national groups. As a result of this policy, Turkili, which is the Turk homeland in northwest, west, and central Iran, is divided among fourteen provinces or "Ostan" in the current administrative division of Iran. These include West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Gilan, Zanjan, Qazvin, Hamadan, Markazi, Alborz, Qom, Tehran, Kermanshah, Kurdistan, and Lorestan provinces. (Note that Turkili only encompasses the Turkish inhabited parts of these provinces, excluding areas not populated by Turks). Approximately 80% of the Turkish population in Iran lives in Turkili.
In Iran “Turkili” and “Azerbaijan” are two different intersecting sets
Turkili and Azerbaijan are not synonymous in meaning or territory. Turkili is a Turkish national region and the homeland of the Turkish people. In contrast, Azerbaijan is a historical and geographical phenomenon. It is the name of two contemporary administrative divisions (West Azerbaijan and East Azerbaijan provinces) that only encompass the northern half of the Turkili territories. The southern half of the Turkish homeland, Turkili, consists of territories inhabited by Turks that in the past were or are currently known as Iraq-i Ajam, Khamse, Jibal, Deylem, Alishukur Bey, Bayatistan, Kharagan, etc. In the Caucasus, Azerbaijan is the name of the homeland, but this is not the case in Iran. In Iran, the Turkish homeland is Turkili, with only half of it located in historical, geographical, and administrative Azerbaijan. The other half of the Turkish homeland, Turkili, is located outside of historical, geographical, and administrative Azerbaijan. In short, there is a Turkish nation dispersed throughout Iran. This Turkish nation primarily resides in the northwest of Iran, spanning fourteen provinces. Azerbaijan only comprises two provinces, and does not encompass all of the Turkish territories and homeland, nor the entire Turkish nation. Considering Azerbaijan as the Turkish homeland in Iran instead of Turkili is an absurd view. It is akin to defining the Turkish homeland in Turkiye solely as Rumelia, or in the Republic of Azerbaijan solely as Nakhchivan.
Referring to the Turkish nation living in Iran as Azeri and Azerbaijani is an act of Ethnic Cleansing and Ethnocide.
Referring to the Turkish people residing in Iran or the part of it living in the Azerbaijan region of Turkili by ethnic names other than their self-designation, which is Turk, such as "Azerbaijani," "Azerbaijani Turk," "Azeri," or "Azeri Turk," and identifying the Turkish language and its Turkman dialects spoken by these people as "Azerbaijani," "Azerbaijani language," "Azerbaijani Turkish," "Azeri Turkish," "Azeri," etc., does not align with linguistic classification, regional realities, particularly the people's own Endoethnonym (Autoethnonym, Self-Identification, Self-Nomination, Self-Designation).
Furthermore, considering Iran’s state policy of denying and suppressing the existence of the Turkish people and their language, using these misnomers, xenonyms, and exonyms are not only politically incorrect, but also a violation of Human Rights, UN charters, and an act of Ethnic Cleansing, Ethnocide and Linguicide. The creators of the concepts of "Azeri" and "Azerbaijani" aimed to deny the Turkish national existence in Iran, prevent all Western Oghuz Turks in the country from uniting as a single national group, and ultimately facilitate the ethnic cleansing and annihilation of the Turkish people. Those in the Republic of Azerbaijan and Turkiye who refer to the Turkish people living in Iran as "Azerbaijani" and "Azeri" only serve to hinder the formation of the Turkish nation living in Iran and contribute to their ethnic cleansing.
These terms may apply to the Turkish people in the South Caucasus, who have experienced a distinct nation-building process over the last two centuries under Russian rule. However, the ethnic and national name for the Western Oghuz Turks living in the Azerbaijan region of Turkili, as well as for those living in other regions of Turkili and Iran, was and is simply Turk. It is not Azeri, Azerbaijani, Azeri Turk, or Azerbaijani Turk.
South Azerbaijan concept divides the Turkish people living in Iran and its homeland Turkili.
There is no place called South Azerbaijan in Iran. The concept of South Azerbaijan was created in the Stalinist Soviet Union and imposed on the Turkish people in Iran. The Soviet Union created the concept of South Azerbaijan with the intention of dividing the Turkish people living in Iran. Their goal was to remove the Azerbaijan region of Iran bordering Soviet Azerbaijan from Turkey's sphere of influence and instead bring it into Russia's sphere of influence. Another goal was to reduce the size of the Turkish homeland or Turkili in northwestern Iran, limiting it to the small geography of Azerbaijan. Ultimately, this was intended to weaken the power of Turkish people in the region against the Persian, Armenian, and Kurdish populations, both demographically and politically.
TURKILI NATIONAL FLAG:
The Turkili National Flag was designed in the final years of World War I. This flag belonged to the short-lived “Turkish Unity Government" or "Türk Bilik Devleti" (June 8, 1918 – December 1, 1918) established in Türkili under the leadership of the national leader and esteemed commander Urmulu Cemshid Khan Subataylı Afshar Mecd üs-Seltene. The flag was used in various regions of Türkili such as Urmu (Urmia), Salmas, Khoy, Tabriz, Savujbulak, Hamadan, and Ardabil, as the official flag of the "Turkish Unity Government".
The background of the Turkili National Flag is red, similar to the Ottoman flag. On the flag, a crescent moon and a five-pointed star are placed side by side, accompanied by a lion carrying a sun on its back and a sword in its hand. The crescent moon and five-pointed star have been used as symbols of Turkish identity by various Turkic states, from the Göktürk state in the east to the Kölemen (Mamluk) state in the west. The five-pointed star on the flag symbolizes humanity. The lion with the sun on its back and a sword in its hand is a commonly used symbol in Turkish and Mongol states in the region.
2- AFSHARILI - Afşarili (AFSHARYURT):
Afsharyurt, also known as Afsharili, is an ethnic region
in northeastern Iran inhabited by Western Oghuz Turks. It is located in the
northern part of the Khorasan region and shares borders with Turkmenistan, the
"Turkmenyurt" national region in Iran, and northern Afghanistan
(Southern Turkestan). In Afsharili, the majority of Turks speak in the Khorasan
dialects of Turkish, while a smaller portion, similar to Turkili, speak in the Turkman dialects of
Turkish. Approximately 8% of the Turkish population in Iran lives in Afsharili.
AFSHARILI NATIONAL FLAG:
The background of the Afşarili national flag is turquoise, symbolizing Turkish identity. In the center of the flag are the eight-pointed star and the double-headed eagle of the Seljuks, originating from Khorasan. To the right and left of the eight-pointed star are two crescent moons and five-pointed stars, respectively representing the Western and Eastern Oghuz Turks, as well as the western and eastern parts of the Turkic world. The eight-pointed star placed between them emphasizes that Afşarili serves as a bridge between the East and West of the Oghuzs, as well as the east and west of the Turkic world.
3-KASHKAYILI (QASHQAYILI, QASHQAYURTU):
Qaşqayili or Qashqayurt is an ethnic region inhabited by the Turkish Qashqai tribal confederation. It is located in southern Iran, near the Basra Gulf and the Hormoz Strait. The Turkish dialects spoken in Qashqayili form a distinct subgroup of the Turkman dialects. Approximately 12% of the Turkish population resides in southern Iran.
NATIONAL FLAG OF KASHKAYILI:
The design of the Qashqayili national flag, along with the colors and motifs used in it, symbolize the world-famous rugs and “gebes” of the Qashqai Turks. The dark golden yellow in the center of the flag represents worldly wealth in Turkic mythology, Shamanism, Tengrism, Animism, and ancient Turkic culture. The crescent and star symbolize the Western Oghuz and the Turkic identity, while the eight-pointed star represents victory and triumph. The symbols lined up in the margin of the central yellow section are the tamga (seal) of the Akkoyunlu - Bayındır Turkmans, with whom the Qashqay Turks are associated. The tamga resembles the letter B in the Old Turkic Orkhon alphabet, which is also the initial letter of the Bayındır name.
TURKMEN NATION:
In Iran, the Eastern Oghuz Turks refer to themselves as "Turkmen" (تورکمهن) and their language as "Turkmençe" (تورکمهنچه). Turkmen is the national self-designation of the Eastern Oghuz who reside in Central Asia, east of the Khazar (Caspian) Sea. This group is commonly referred to as Turkmen in scientific publications.
"Turkmen" (تورکمهن) versus "Turkman" (تورکمان)
"Turkmen" (تورکمهن) and "Turkman - Turcoman" (تورکمان) are two separate historical concepts representing two distinct ethnic entities. TurkmEn refers to an Eastern Oghuz nation, while TurkmAn is an ethnic subgroup of the Turkish nation or Western Oghuz Turks. They reside in the Non-Arabic and Arabic Middle East, Anatolia, the Caucasus, and west of the Khazar (Caspian) Sea. The main reason for labeling and referring to them as Turcoman in scientific publications is to differentiate them from Turkmens, who are a more homogeneous Eastern Oghuz group. The Turcomans are a mixture of Oghuz Turks along with Eastern Turkic peoples (Karluks, later Chagatais, and Uyghurs), Tatars, and Mongols. This mixture is also evident in the numerous Mongol, Chagatai, Eastern Turkic, Tatar, and Kipchak elements present in the Turcoman dialects.
5-TURKMENYURT (in Persian: ترکمن صحرا):
Turkmenyurt is the name of the ethnic region in Iran
where the Turkmen nation live, and its Persian name is "Torkmen
Sehra" (ترکمن صحرا). Turkmenyurt is
located on the southeastern coast of the
Caspian Sea and to the south of the Republic of Turkmenistan.
TÜRKMENYURT NATIONAL FLAG:
The design of the Turkmenyurt national flag closely resembles that of the Republic of Turkmenistan, with some notable differences. Instead of the green color, it features a turquoise sky color, symbolizing Turkic identity. The flag has two vertical red stripes in place of a vertical carpet strip seen on the Turkmenistan flag. Moreover, rather than the five stars and crescent moon on the hoist side, the Turkmenyurt flag showcases a single five-pointed star and crescent moon at the center, representing the Turkic symbol. These two stripes are a vertical adaptation of the horizontal stripes found on the flags of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Iraqi Turkmaneli, symbolyzing the Turkmens in the Republic of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.
KHALAJ - XELEC NATION:
The Khalaj nation in Iran is considered to be a remnant of the ancient Turkic Argus. They refer to their language as "Xelec Tili" (Khalaj Language). The Khalaj people, remnants of the ancient Argus, are distinct from the Khalaj tribe, which was once a branch of the Oghuz but has now merged and assimilated into the Turkish people.
4-XELECORDA (KHALAJORDA):
Khalajorda, known as
"Khalajestan" (خلجستان) in Persian, is the ethnic region where the Khalaj people
reside. It is situated in the southeast of Turkili, bordering Central Iran and
Farsistan.
XELECORDA NATIONAL FLAG:
The national flag of Khalajorda consists of three vertical stripes: sky blue on the left, red in the center, and green on the right. These colors are also found in the flags of South Turkestan in northern Afghanistan and the Republic of Azerbaijan. The symbols on the flag represent elements related to the formation and history of the Khalaj people. These symbols include: the vertically arranged three-starred flag of the Akhuns (Hephthalites) on the right, the tree-shaped flag of the Karakhanids and Karluks with nine arrows and tufted banners on the left, and the crescent moon and star used by the ancient Turks and Western Oghuz in the center.
KAZAKH – QAZAQ NATIONAL MINORITY:
The Kazakhs are a small Turkic community of Kipchak
origin in Iran, residing in Turkmenyurt (Turkmen Sahra). They do not have their
own compact national region or homeland in Iran, so they are considered a
national minority in Iran, rather than a nation. The Kazakh language is self-designated
as "Qazaqsha" (قازاقشا).
FLAG OF THE KAZAKH MINORITY:
The national flag of the Kazakh minority living in Iran has a turquoise sky-blue background. In the center of the flag are an eagle and a Kazakh yurt. The three stars on the left side symbolize the three Kazakh Jüz (or Hordes), the Ulı (Great), Orta (Middle), and Kışı (Little) that formed the Kazakh Khanate and their homeland, Kazakili (Kazakhstan). These symbols have also been used in other Kazakh flags. At the top of the yurt is a Şañıraq (Şankırak, Shanyrak), a traditional roof structure. The door of the yurt and the vertical stripe on the left of the flag feature commonly used Kazakh motifs.
FARSI SPEAKERS WITH TURKISH ORIGIN
At the beginning of the 20th century, only 5-10% of the Iranian population spoke Tajik-Dari, a language that originated in modern-day Afghanistan. However, today, those who speak Tajik-Dari and its subtype Persian as their mother tongue or primary language, make up about 25%-35% of the of the country’s total population. At least one-third to one-half of the Persian-speaking population in modern Iran consists of Turkish people, while another third is made up of other non-Persian groups, such as Arabs and non-Persian Iranics. They are all non – Persians who have been Persianized, meaning their languages have gradually converted to Tajik - Dari - Persian over time, and they have started speaking Persian. The main contributing factor in the past centuries was the usage of Tajik-Dari-Persian as an official, literary and written language. Additinally, state assimilationist policies, forced Persianization, and the imposition of Persian as the sole official language in government, education, administration, and media since the constitutional era have further perpetuated this trend. For example, the vast majority of Iranian elites, celebrities, artists, actors, scientists, politicians, capitalists, entrepreneurs, athletes, military personnel, etc., whose names are mentioned daily in foreign and Western media, are Turks. Most of them no longer able to speak Turkish.
Flag of the Farsi speakers with Turkish Origin
Currently, the Persian-speaking Turks in Iran are not a considered a national group, nation, or national minority, but can be seen as a sociological phenomenon. The flag designed to represent and symbolize the Persian-speaking Turkish people living in Iran, consists of a large upward crescent moon and a big blue star over it. In the middle of crescent moon there is the symbol of a lion holding a sword in its hand and the sun on its back.
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