ur ally ▁( due ▁to ▁the ▁pre domin ance ▁of ▁the ▁A zer i ▁Turk ic ▁population ▁there ). ▁The ▁region ▁is ▁mostly ▁populated ▁by ▁A zer i ▁Tur ks ▁( wid ely ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁simply ▁" A zer ba ij an is " ▁since ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ), ▁with ▁minor ity ▁populations ▁of ▁Kur ds , ▁Armen ians , ▁T ats , ▁Tal y sh , ▁Ass y ri ans ▁and ▁Pers ians . ▁ ▁Iran ian ▁A zer ba ij an ▁is ▁the ▁land ▁originally ▁and ▁histor ically ▁called ▁A zer ba ij an ; ▁the ▁A zer ba ij ani - pop ulated ▁Republic ▁of ▁A zer ba ij an ▁appropri ated ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁neighbour ing ▁A zer ba ij ani - pop ulated ▁region ▁in ▁Iran ▁during ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁Historic ▁A zer ba ij an ▁was ▁called ▁At rop at ene ▁in ▁anti qu ity ▁and ▁At ur p ata kan ▁in ▁the ▁pre - I sl am ic ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁Some ▁people ▁refer ▁to ▁Iran ian ▁A zer ba ij an ▁as ▁South ▁( or ▁Southern ) ▁A zer ba ij an ▁and ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁A zer ba ij an ▁as ▁Northern ▁A zer ba ij an , ▁although ▁others ▁believe ▁that ▁these ▁terms ▁are ▁ir red ent ist ▁and ▁polit ically ▁motiv ated . ▁This ▁term ▁is ▁mainly ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁A zer ba ij an ▁and ▁its