A textbook prepared by Turkey’s Ministry of Education for high schools contains controversial statements about Iran and China.
Globalinfo.az reports that the Turkish newspaper “Aydınlık” published the information.
The report says the book, titled “Türk Dünyası Kültür Atlası” (Atlas of Turkic World Culture), presents Tabriz as “the heart of South Azerbaijan” and China’s Xinjiang-Uyghur region as “East Turkestan”.
These statements in particular drew attention in the publication:
“Towards the end of our journey through the Turkic world, we direct our route to Iran, to Tabriz, the heart of South Azerbaijan. In this unique geography, where you can travel without feeling any strangeness compared with Anatolian Turkish, you can meet many of our kin — Azerbaijani Turks, Qashqais, Khalajs.”
Turkish media write that the wording used in the publication is assessed as an approach that could spark debate over the territorial integrity of Iran and China. The material claims that US and Israeli projects aimed at splitting up Iran and China have been included in the educational curriculum.
The ministry did not answer questions addressed to it on the matter.
Note that Turkey has always expressed support for Iran’s territorial integrity. In this regard, the approach taken in the ministry’s textbook has not been received unambiguously through the prism of state policy.
Aliyar Khalil
Globalinfo.az
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