Ottoman Emblem in the Hands of the President
A widely circulated photo of Masoud Pezeshkian holding a rosary with a crescent and star emblem has caused widespread ambiguities and concerns. Recently, controversial images of Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, have been published on social media, provoking reactions from many Iranian users. In these photos, Pezeshkian holds a rosary adorned with a crescent and star emblem, which is symbolic of the Ottoman Empire and featured on the flags of Turkey and the Republic of Baku.
At first glance, one might say this issue stems from a lack of attention or poor taste by Pezeshkian’s associates and advisors. However, the matter becomes worrying when examining similar behaviors by him and his associates over the past year and a half. From a controversial and scandalous meeting with some notorious separatist figures at the Presidential Office to Pezeshkian’s strange and ambiguous statements about federalism in Iran, all are examples of the dangerous behaviors of the President.
Meanwhile, it is said that the direction of such behaviors by Pezeshkian is controlled by Yousef, the controversial son of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Unofficial reports suggest Yousef Pezeshkian played a role in organizing the controversial meeting of the President with some anti-security and Pan-Turk figures, including Younes Zareiyoun, known on Twitter as Younes Tabrizli.
Additionally, it is said that during the 2024 election campaigns, the necessary management and coordination with the Birlik headquarters in Tabriz, established by prominent Pan-Turk figures, were also handled by Yousef Pezeshkian. Recently, it has been revealed that some of these figures, who engage in ethnic nationalist and anti-security activities, have benefited from unfiltered internet or so-called white SIM cards. Among them are individuals like Amir Karimzadeh, the manager of Nasr News, and Navid Mohammadi, head of Pezeshkian’s Birlik headquarters in Tabriz.
Although there is no evidence that white SIM cards were provided to these individuals through Yousef Pezeshkian, based on what is heard about the behavior and statements of Masoud Pezeshkian’s son, it can be speculated that he is distributing advantages among some ethnic nationalist figures, even in some cases separatists. Furthermore, in the wave of revealing the names of white SIM card holders, it was found that many famous Pan-Turk accounts are also managed by white SIM cards. Pages like Yazako, Guney Azerbaijan TV, Turk Oghlu, Araz News, and Bir Turk Oghlu are among the accounts listed as white SIM card holders. However, there is no precise information about the owners of these pages, except for Yazako, which is managed by Navid Mohammadi.