Turkmen in Iran

The Turkmen first belonged to the yellow race and according to the historians they lived in the southeast of Asia (around China). Following the destruction of emperor Gugturk , a group of them called “ Agooz” separated from them in those years and migrated from the Arkhoon area to Aral and Seihoon and then to the southern part of Amudarya and Marv. The Turkmen’s migration to Atrak river and Gorgan started in the 9th 9th Hijri century. The Turkmen of Guglan , Yemerly and Aleali moved to the plains that surround Kupet Dagh. A little later Sarigh, Arsay , and Saler Turkmen moved to the plains which surround Ghoochan and Bojnoord and they continued until the Akhal cross-border contract was signed between Iran and Russia in 1881.Now Iran’s Turkmen in the province of Golestan reside in a region extending from the east of the Caspian sea to Marveh hill and from the southeast to the Palizan mountains.
A group of Turks living in Jegalan in Bojnoord migrated in this direction due to the First World War and Russia’s Bolshevik revolution. Therefore the Turkmen’s migration shows that they have been living in an ancestral land resided in by the Iranian ethnic groups,” Patrs”, “Dahe”, “Masaget”,” Alan”,”Ac”and “Khorasani”, for centuries and therefore they inherited the culture and civilization which were fully Iranian and according to Ayo Yacobovsky , the Turkmen’s role in the formation and development of this civilization resembles other ethnic groups. Also, regarding their role and presence in political life of the land of Iran they share the fate and memories with other Iranian ethnic groups.
Their relations with the governments of Seljuk , Qara Qoyunlu, Aghkoyunlular, Timurid, Afsharieh, and Ghajar and their more or less presence in the events of determining the fate like the Iranian constitution and the national oil movements and the Islamic revolution has given them a political identity which is common with other Iranian ethnic groups. Furthermore, they have played a significant role in defending territorial integrity like other courageous men and women of the country, different anti- colonial combats, resisting occupiers and the holy defense.
Now regarding the ups and downs, Iran’s Turkmen recognize themselves as Iranian like other ethnic groups and seek their interests through solidarity and unification.
A general examination also shows factors which converge and unify the Turkmen with other Iranian ethnic groups : sharing the land with Iranians , living in a geographical area, sharing the religion of Islam , adhering to the religious issues , sharing their millennium history with Iran , having many commonalities in customs with Iranians as a result of the common religion and history , developing the Persian language along with the Turkmen language through the media in the areas resided in by the Turkmen , implementing construction and social plans , focusing more on the area and implementing different projects by the central government , cooperating in the plans of the economic and construction development of the region, implementing social justice, providing equal opportunities to attract the workforce and use them irrespective of ethnic and religious backgrounds, not separating and grading the citizens, and meritocracy and equality in opportunities to hold key positions of the country , etc.