Pray for the Azeri Turks

The Azerbaijani or Azeri people are a Turkic people (ethnic relatives of the Turkish people that currently live in Turkey) living mainly in Northwestern Iran and the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan. They are the second-most numerous ethnic group among the Turkic peoples after the native (Anatolian) Turks. They are predominantly Shi’ite Muslims which could explain some of the distinction from their Turkish cousins who are primarily Sunni Muslim. It should come as no surprise that they are the largest ethnic group in the Republic of Azerbaijan. However, it was surprising to learn that nearly twice as many Azerbaijani people live in the Northwestern corner of neighboring Iran where they are the second-largest ethnic group behind the native Persian people.

The Azerbaijani language unifies these people but decades of separation, up until the formation of the sovereign Republic of Azerbaijan in 1991, between the Soviet-influenced north and the Persian-influenced south led to significant differences in dialect. Additionally, Turkish and Azeri are similar enough that their speakers can have a conversation, similar to Spanish and Portuguese. We pray that the connections between these countries would lead to open doors for the gospel to move in mighty ways.

There are about 25 million Azeri in Azerbaijan and Northern Iran. That’s about 4 million more people than the entire population of Florida squeezed into a region that it roughly the size of North Carolina. The country of Azerbaijan has numerous allies and healthy trade partnerships. It is generally very peaceful and economically prosperous with around 80% of their economy tied to the export of petroleum from the Caspian Sea. However, they have that one neighbor that they just can’t stand… Armenia.

Armenians are not allowed to enter the country. Actually, if you are an international traveler and you have Armenia on your passport or even if you just have an Armenian Surname, that could prevent you from getting into the country. This feud goes back to the time before the Soviet Union. Armenia is fundamentally a Christian nation. The Armenian Apostolic Church was purportedly founded by Thaddeus and Bartholomew, two disciples of Jesus, all the way back in the first century, so they have a very rich Christian tradition. The Turks, however, were more prone to follow Zoroastrianism in ancient times and then shifted to Islam around the 7th century.

This obviously is not the only issue. There is the question of an ancestral homeland and a claim to land, but I’m afraid that in an environment where the one source of struggle and division is coming from those who claim to be Christian, it creates a barrier to the gospel. However, we don’t believe in a gospel that respects man-made barriers. The Armenian-Azeri territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region erupted into armed conflict in 1992 before a ceasefire was issued two years later. Despite continued attempts at peace, the unresolved issue results in ongoing political tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We pray for the Armenian Christians to accurately represent the gospel and for hearts to be softened to the gospel.

Over 99% of the Azeri people are Muslim. As the younger generations rise to power many are leaving behind their staunch religious traditions in favor of secularism. The Azeri constitution grants everyone the freedom to worship. However, religious institutions are still required to register with the Azeri government in order to congregate, and religious literature must be approved before publishing.

Christianity is frequently associated with Russian imperialism, the Armenian enemies, and western influences. Christians are often harassed by law enforcement, threatened by heavy fines, and forced to avoid congregating because of the inability to adhere to strict regulations. Many citizens are imprisoned for worshipping without proper registration. Foreigners are also legally prohibited from proselytizing, making cross-cultural missions more challenging. These strict regulations cause many churches to both meet and minister in secret. But despite these challenges, the Christian church is beginning to flourish as the number of churches emerging in Azeri communities increases every year.

These increasing numbers are encouraging, but we know that God is jealous for his name to be famous among all peoples. We pray that God would create an incubator for the good news of the gospel in the difficult situation of the Azeri Turks. When those believers are oppressed and faced with unfair treatment let them realize that they are blessed to face persecution for the name of Christ. We pray for the unregistered house churches that they would develop Jesus loving, wise, and humble believers who will take the gospel to the Caucasus mountain regions, to the industrialized cities, to the urban poor, and to every village and hamlet for the glory of God.