Azadliq, Azerbaijan
Aug 5 2009

Kurds want to seize control of the Azerbaijani army

MP Vahid Ahmadov made this sensational statement

As early as 1997, I said that a day will come when the Armenian
problem would be insignificant as compared with the Kurdish one

The media, in particular, independent mass media outlets have
repeatedly carried reports about the Kurdish problem in
Azerbaijan. The exodus of Kurds to the country, high-handedness of the
Kurdish groups in the authorities and so on are among issues
periodically highlighted by the independent media. The Kurdish problem
has already reached a point when even parliamentarians close to the
authorities express their anxiety over this matter.

Parliamentarian Vahid Ahmadov [of the New Policy Bloc established
before the 2005 parliamentary election by the Azerbaijan Milli
Istiqlal Party, the Azerbaijani Social Democratic Party and the
National Action Party] yesterday spoke about the Kurdish problem at a
scientific-practical conference on the topic of "The role of political
parties and non-government organizations [NGOs] in the resolution of
the Nagornyy Karabakh problem" under the aegis of the Civic Solidarity
Party and Norwegian-based northern-southern Azerbaijan Political
Researches Centre at Ambassador Hotel.

The parliamentarian said that very serious processes connected with
the Kurdish issue was under way in Azerbaijan. "As early as 1997, I
said that a day will come when the Armenian issue would be
insignificant as compared with the Kurdish one in Azerbaijan. Now this
process is under way but we simply do not feel it. Nevertheless, we
would feel it one day as Turkey does it now," Vahid Ahmadov
said. After these remarks the parliamentarian added that the Kurdish
groups in Azerbaijan want to seize control of the army: "The
Azerbaijani army is commanded by a Turkic son. Therefore, the evil
forces want to seize control of the army. Nevertheless, I do not
believe that the president would let such a thing to happen."

This statement by Vahid Ahmadov shows quite serious processes are
under way in the authorities. We assume that the infighting in the
authorities has transferred to the ethnic plane. The Kurdish group in
the authorities has mobilized itself in order to strengthen its impact
and the situation is so bad that even Ilham Aliyev is expected to make
compromise to them. Anyway, Vahid Ahmadov’s inexplicit and to a
certain extent indecisive remark that "I do not believe Ilham Aliyev
would let such things to happen" affords ground to say so. If the
parliamentarian was confident that the president would in no way make
steps meeting the interests of the Kurdish group, he would have
probably said that "Ilham Aliyev will never allow this happen".

Vahid Ahmadov is a member of parliament and is in politics for many
years and knows very well how to express himself. We wonder why is
Vahid Ahmadov not sure of Ilham Aliyev? The answer is obvious: the
Kurdish group in the authorities has more chances to influence the
president. On a number of issues, Ilham Aliyev was obliged to
compromise to them. For example, the unseating of MP Huseyn
Abdullayev. It is not a secret that Huseyn Abdullayev was not punished
for slapping in the face of MP Fazail Agamali [in the Milli Maclis].

The former parliamentarian was a victim of his struggle against the
Kurdish group. Seeing his native land of Naxcivan occupied by Kurds,
he constituted The Land of Oguz organization there. The target of this
organization was to save Naxcivan from Kurds, however, the
parliamentarian was not successful in his attempts. The Kurdish group
in the authorities managed within a short period to have the man, whom
Heydar Aliyev addressed as "my son", deprived of his mandate as a
parliamentarian and then imprisoned.

Over this issue, Ilham Aliyev did not extend his hand of support to
Huseyn Abdullayev, who played a significant role in the return of his
father to power and Ilham Aliyev to become president, but the Kurdish
group. For sure, Vahid Ahmadov is aware of all these. From such a
standpoint, he is not absolutely sure of Ilham Aliyev. This statement
of the parliamentarian can also be interpreted as Defence Minister
Safar Abiyev’s message to the public. The matter is that Vahid Ahmadov
and Safar Abiyev are fellow countrymen and even it is said that they
are relatives. From this point of view, the parliamentarian has always
backed Safar Abiyev. Now the defence minister wants the public to be
aware of the danger for the Azerbaijani army through the
parliamentarian. Anyway, the public has to treat Vahid Ahmadov’s
statement seriously and save the Azerbaijani army from both the
Kurdish group in the authorities and complacent generals of Safar
Abiyev.

[translated from Azeri]