Federal Lezghi
National and Cultural Autonomy

 

The "Voice of Talyshistan” radio station started broadcasting from Shushi, Nagorno Karabakh, a year ago at the initiative of the Iranian Studies Chair of the Yerevan State University and the "Modus Vivendi” Center. The main target audience was about the 1.5 million Talysh population in Azerbaijan.

In the course of one year the radio station has managed to become the cultural and political microphone of the Talysh people, contributing to the raise of their national identity, Head of the Iranian Studies Chair Garnik Asatryan told reporters today.

The "Voice of Talyshistan” is actually the fist ratio station in the Talysh language besides the one in Iran, which refers only to religious issues. In Azerbaijan Talyshs are deprived of their own radio and television.

"We, Armenians, have an important mission in the region. We must protect the national minorities deprived of their own state,” Garnik Asatryan said.

According to Garnik Gevorgyan, Director of the "Voice of Talyshistan,” the opening of the radio station has formed brand new approaches towards national minorities in Azerbaijan. He considers this is one of the best tools to bridle Azerbaijan’s military aspirations.

"In case Azerbaijan unleashes war against Armenia, the development of processes inside that country may be unprecedented,” Gevorgyan said, adding that "the creation of a Talysh state under those conditions will be quite realistic.

According to him, in the current situation, any serious shock, especially war, may lead to the partition of the country.