Turkmen language and geography of Turkmen language in Iran

Turkmen language is an Altaic language and belongs to the Oghuz branch of Turkish language. Turkmen language is the official language of Turkmenistan and its speakers are scattered in Turkmenistan, the northeastern parts of Iran and the northern parts of Afghanistan. This language is related to Azerbaijani Turkish, Uzbek language, Crimean and Salar Tatar and Istanbul Turkish. Some linguists argue that Turkmen language is an intermediary between Western (Azerbaijani and Istanbul) Turkish and Eastern (Uzbek, Cossack, Uighur and Kyrgyz) Turkish languages. Ethnologue Encyclopedia estimates the number of Iranian speakers of this language to be three million people. Turkmen speakers live mostly on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, especially in the Turkmen-Sahara area and around the Atrek and Gorganrud rivers.