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One
year ago on August 22, 2000, in Ankara clinic of Military - medical academy
Gyulhane (GATA) at the age of 62 years, former president of Azerbaijan Abulfaz
Elchibey has died. So the way, which began in 1938 in the Nakhichevan village,
Keleki, was finished. In Baku contrary to bans and strict measures of police,
thousand people gave a tribute of memory to late leader of the national movement
suffering for heterodoxy even in 70ies.
Anniversary
of death of «aksakal» «certainly became an opportunity for opposition, which
uses any occasion for expression of disagreement with policy of leadership.
Musawatists do not hide their attachment and loyality to heritage and memories
of Elchibey, which is expressed in pro-Turkish spiritual and Right-wing
liberal pro-Western orientation. In present Azerbaijan, it is difficult to find
any pressing issue, which has no relation to political and ideological heritage
of Elchibey, and finally to his biography.
Replying
to «Liberty Radio»
(19.08.2001),
Gorbachev, in particular, about January events of 1990, speaks: «… Why
did in Baku so speak: «Why Gorbachev could not interfere at once?» That is why
that we addressed to our friends, colleagues, to Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan,
and they spoke: «Situation is under control... And then, when I sent there
Primakov, I speak: «something strange, in general, occurs, the information goes
very serious». In two days, Primakov calls on phone after arrival. «Situation,
Michael Sergeevich, has got out of control. It can turn out into bloody events.
In 18 areas of Azerbaijan (there regional division) could control authority.
Simply could control it. 200 kilometers of borders and many other things were
destroyed.
I
speak: «And Supreme Soviet?» - «Supreme Soviet is isolated.
It does not operate. Some were frightened - do not go, and others are not give
the chance. Activity of Central Committee of Communist Party and Supreme Soviet,
thus is paralyzed. It was all. It is necessary to do something». And what to do?
It is necessary to enter... We cannot achieve consent of Supreme Soviet. It is
simply paralyzed … And I have made the decision on intervention of armies and
introduction of state of emergency». That bloody night since 19 till
January 20, about which Gorbachev tells obviously not objectively, Primakov,
Yazov and Kruchkov spoke also with leader of popular Front Elchibey. He acted
against intervention of armies in Baku: «My people has erected barricades
against your occupational army and the soldier on the native ground does not
want to see that of yours. We do not have weapon. The question is civil
disobedience». Not leaders of popular Front, but unarmed simple people were
lost.
President
Elchibey declared and publicly developed the doctrine that Southern Azerbaijan
with the center in Tabriz should be freed from Iranian hegemony. And Teheran in
the answer started to play the Armenian card. During visiting as the President
of independent Azerbaijan of mausoleum Ataturk – Anitkabir on June 26, 1992 in
the Book of records, Elchibey has written the following: «we have nothing to
speak and write, for great Ataturk has told all. The one, who names himself Turk,
truly is happy. Your soldier, Abulfaz Elchibei».
In
this rather unusual record for the given Book, character and ideology of the
deceased were showed. But here both are incurable naivety, and youthful
romanticism of fatalist, Elchibey. In days of that visit, he visited tomb of the
first president of independent Azerbaijan, Mehmetamin Rasulzade, died emigrant
in Ankara in 1955. And it was unexpected for accompanying and guards, that he
began to search for the tomb of Zeki Velidi Togan, who could not go along with
bolsheviks, and having left USSR, became one of the founders of historical
science of Turkey. His work «Introduction in common Turkish history», insulted
by Soviet historians, till now is the reference book of Turkish nationalists.
But
the tomb was found on huge city of cemetery Asrie. Though Elchibey
perfectly knew, that political elite of Turkey, intellectuals of the country for
a long time already are torn off from common Turkish ideals. But he was not
a realist – his eastern mystic positions «No resistance to evil», inclined
both to philosophy and rhetoric have logically resulted in a fiasco. All
this is indicative with that point of view, that people in Azerbaijan treat
ex-president basically without special political prejudices. Euphoria of
national-democracy has very quickly passed. Elchibey held presidential post for
one year and was overthrown in June 1993 during military mutiny of colonel Suret
Husejnov. Having forbidden to give armed repulse to rebels, on June 20, 1993 he
left the post and returned to native village, where has spent last seven years
of life. Probably, he left memoirs and we may sometime read these, to complete
it.
However
it is clear, that «soldier Ataturk» as he named himself, hardly would act thus
in days of mutiny of Suret Huseinov under pretext of that he is «against
bloodshed and civil fratricidal war like Georgian». Even his most close
colleagues, then have understood finally, that Elchibey was not born for
political struggle. He was moralist and dervish, wise man of east.
Not
casually, he emphasized his worries concerning recurrence of the Georgian
fratricidal war, as he left not in avoidance of participation of personally like
Gamsahurdia. Not fear, but physiological inability to the armed opposition and
enmity has pushed him ton such grand step. He always trusted, that word and idea
is stronger than weapon though each day in Caucasus, we are convinced that
weapon, blood, action, feat, and victims should protect belief and word.
One
Azerbaijani poet wrote, that in personality of Elchibey are combined east
aksakal Elchibey, hero - soldier Dudayev and proud man – mountaineer
Gamsahurdia. It is disputable to the fact that anything common in this poetic
phrase with validity is not present. Three Caucasian leaders, of whom already
there is no one among us and for whom we are not judges, entered history and
memory of peoples completely under different marks. Gamsahurdia, probably,
committed a tragic mistake, but he paid life for that. For Dudayev, there was no
question: death or freedom of Chechen people? And he proved it particularly with
his biography. Contemporaries should accept correct advice from life of
these three Caucasian figures.
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