Whole Azerbaijan
Encyclopedia
Whole Azerbaijan is an irredentist Azerbaijani
concept that propagates the political union of territories currently inhabited by Azerbaijanis or historically controlled by them.
of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 1992-1993. In 1997 Elchibey founded the organisation Whole Azerbaijan Union (Bütöv Azərbaycan Birliyi). His book on the idea, titled Bütöv Azərbaycan yolunda was published in Ankara
in 1998. Elchibey argued that the borders of Azerbaijan should extend from Derbent
to the Persian Gulf
. He claimed that Azerbaijanis, with historical presence in the territory ("[the boundaries of] Greater Azerbaijan was historically starting at Derbent in the north and, with its centre in Hamedan, would reach the Persian Gulf"), had right to rule over it with a proposed system of governance called United Azerbaijani Lands (Birləşmiş Azərbaycan Yurdları). In his views published postmortem in 2002, he opposed the idea of a separate and independent Iranian Azerbaijan.
. Although the boundaries of Whole Azerbaijan are not strictly defined, some proponents portray them as encompassing the following areas:
Azerbaijani people
The Azerbaijanis are a Turkic-speaking people living mainly in northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as in the neighbourhood states, Georgia, Russia and formerly Armenia. Commonly referred to as Azeris or Azerbaijani Turks , they also live in a wider area from the Caucasus to...
concept that propagates the political union of territories currently inhabited by Azerbaijanis or historically controlled by them.
History
The idea of Whole Azerbaijan was formulated by Abulfaz Elchibey, the presidentPresident of Azerbaijan
The country of Azerbaijan is a presidential republic, with the President of Azerbaijan as the head of state, and the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan as head of government...
of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 1992-1993. In 1997 Elchibey founded the organisation Whole Azerbaijan Union (Bütöv Azərbaycan Birliyi). His book on the idea, titled Bütöv Azərbaycan yolunda was published in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
in 1998. Elchibey argued that the borders of Azerbaijan should extend from Derbent
Derbent
Derbent |Lak]]: Чурул, Churul; Persian: دربند; Judæo-Tat: דארבּאנד/Дэрбэнд/Dərbənd) is a city in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, close to the Azerbaijani border. It is the southernmost city in Russia, and it is the second most important city of Dagestan...
to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
. He claimed that Azerbaijanis, with historical presence in the territory ("[the boundaries of] Greater Azerbaijan was historically starting at Derbent in the north and, with its centre in Hamedan, would reach the Persian Gulf"), had right to rule over it with a proposed system of governance called United Azerbaijani Lands (Birləşmiş Azərbaycan Yurdları). In his views published postmortem in 2002, he opposed the idea of a separate and independent Iranian Azerbaijan.
Current use
The term Whole Azerbaijan is still preserved in a number of political initiatives including the Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front PartyWhole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party
The Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party is a political party in Azerbaijan. At the parliamentary elections of 6 November 2005 the party won 1 out of 125 seats....
. Although the boundaries of Whole Azerbaijan are not strictly defined, some proponents portray them as encompassing the following areas:
- Western Azerbaijan (Qərbi Azərbaycan) -
all the territory of the Republic of Armenia - Southern AzerbaijanAzerbaijan (Iran)Azerbaijan or Azarbaijan , also Iranian Azerbaijan, Persian Azarbaijan is a region in northwestern Iran. It is also historically known as Atropatene and Aturpatakan....
(Cənubi Azərbaycan) -
Northern IranNorthern IranNorthern Iran includes the Southern Caspian regions representing provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan of Iran ....
, the provinces of East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, ZanjanZanjan ProvinceZanjan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Located in the North West of Iran, its capital is Zanjan city. Zanjan province with an area of 36,400 km² has a mostly rural, population of 964,601 . The province lies 330 km northwest of Tehran, connected to it via a freeway.Zanjan...
and ArdabilArdabil ProvinceArdabil Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the north west of the country, bordering the Republic of Azerbaijan and the provinces of East Azerbaijan, Zanjan, and Gilan. Its centre is the city of Ardabil... - BorchaliBorchaliBorchali is a region of Georgia largely populated by ethnic Azerbaijanis. Historical name of present day-Kvemo Kartli.-Etymology:According to the etymological research "Borchali" toponymy is considered coming from the words "hole" and "empty"...
(Borçalı) -
Kvemo KartliKvemo KartliKvemo Kartli is a historic province and current administrative region in southeastern Georgia. The city of Rustavi is a regional capital. The population is mixed between Azeris and Georgians .The current governor is Davit Kirkitadze.- External links :* *...
province of GeorgiaGeorgia (country)Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of... - DerbentDerbentsky DistrictDerbentsky District is an administrative and a municipal district , one of forty-one in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia. The area of the district is . Its administrative center is the city of Derbent . District's population: 86,494 ;...
(Dərbənd) -
Derbent districtDerbentsky DistrictDerbentsky District is an administrative and a municipal district , one of forty-one in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia. The area of the district is . Its administrative center is the city of Derbent . District's population: 86,494 ;...
, Republic of Dagestan