Safar Abiyev

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Safar Abiyev

| image = Safar Abiyev in 2006.jpg

| order =

| title = Minister of Defense

| term_start = 6 February 1995

| term_end = 28 October 2013

| term_start2 = June 17, 1993

| term_end2 = 20 August 1993
{{small|Acting}}

| predecessor2 = Dadash Rzayev

| successor2 = Vahid Musayev {{small|Acting}}

| predecessor = Mammadrafi Mammadov

| successor = Zakir Hasanov

| president = Heydar Aliyev
Ilham Aliyev

| office3 = Chief of General Staff of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

| president3 = Abulfaz Elchibey

| term_start3 = June 17, 1993{{cite web |url=http://e-qanun.az/print.php?internal=view&target=1&docid=8464&doctype=0 |title=D. Q. Rzayev və S. A. Əbiyev haqqında AZƏRBAYCAN RESPUBLİKASI PREZİDENTİNİN FƏRMANI |trans-title=Order of President of Azerbaijan on D.Q. Rzayev and S.A. Abiyev |accessdate=2011-01-05 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009183834/http://e-qanun.az/print.php?internal=view&target=1&docid=8464&doctype=0 |archivedate=2011-10-09 }}

| term_end3 = November 2, 1993
{{small | Acting}}

| predecessor3 = Nuraddin Sadigov

| successor3 = Najmaddin Sadigov

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1950|01|27}}

| birth_place = Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, USSR (now Azerbaijan)

| branch = {{army|USSR}}
25px Azerbaijani Armed Forces

| serviceyears = 1968–1991
1995–2013

| rank = Colonel General

| battles =

| native_name_lang = az

| native_name = {{nobold|Səfər Əbiyev}}

| caption = Abiyev in 2004

}}

Colonel General Safar Akhundbala oghlu Abiyev ({{langx|az|Səfər Axundbala oğlu Əbiyev}}; born January 27, 1950) was the Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan from 1995 to 2013. He was considered one of the longest serving defense ministers in the Commonwealth of Independent States.{{Cite news|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/Azerbaijans_Unsinkable_General/1983345.html|title=Azerbaijan's Unsinkable General|newspaper=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|date=16 March 2010 |accessdate=14 December 2022}}

Early life and career

General Safar Abiyev was born in Baku. He is an ethnic Lezgin. He graduated in 1971 from Baku's Higher Military College, and in 1982 from the Command Faculty of the Frunze Military Academy in Moscow, and has spent his entire professional life in the armed forces. Abiyev was appointed Chief of General Staff of Azerbaijani Armed Forces and acting Minister of Defense when Minister Dadash Rzayev was relieved of his duties on June 17, 1993. He worked as acting Minister until August 1993 when Deputy Minister Vahid Musayev was assigned to lead the ministry but was soon sacked by Heydar Aliyev on August 25, 1993.{{cite web |url=http://e-qanun.az/print.php?internal=view&target=1&docid=8578&doctype=0 |title=V. A. Musayev haqqında AZƏRBAYCAN RESPUBLİKASI PREZİDENTİNİN SƏRƏNCAMI |trans-title=Decree of the President of Azerbaijan on V.A. Musayev |accessdate=2011-01-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009185007/http://e-qanun.az/print.php?internal=view&target=1&docid=8578&doctype=0 |archivedate=2011-10-09 }} Abiyev continued to serve as the Chief of General Staff until November 2, 1993, when the post was taken by Najmaddin Sadigov. Abiyev was reinstated as Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan on February 6, 1995, replacing Mammadrafi Mammadov.

Defence minister

File:Abiyev - Rumsfeld 040326-D-2987S-005 screen.jpg Safar Abiyev with U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld during a visit to The Pentagon on March 26, 2004.]]

Abiyev was part of the State Commission for the funeral of Heydar Aliyev.{{Cite web|title=36 - Azərbaycan Respublikasının eks-prezidenti Heydər Əlirza oğlu Əliyevin dəfn mərasiminin təşkili üzrə Dövlət Komissiyasının yaradılması haqqında|url=http://www.e-qanun.az/framework/2670|access-date=2020-09-12|website=www.e-qanun.az}} Upon the pardon of Ramil Safarov, Abiyev promoted Safarov to the rank of major provided him with an apartment and over eight years of back pay.{{cite news|date=31 August 2012|title=As Armenia Protests Killer's Pardon, Azerbaijan Promotes Him|agency=Radio Free Europe|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/armenia-protest-azerbaijani-killer-pardon-to-osce-minsk-group/24694817.html|access-date=2 September 2012}}{{cite news|last=Mehdiyev|first=E.|date=September 1, 2012|title=Azerbaijani Defense Ministry grants apartment to Ramil Safarov|agency=Trend News Agency|url=http://en.trend.az/news/society/2060913.html|access-date=September 1, 2012}} He commanded the first parade in 16 years in 2008 to honor the 90th anniversary of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.{{Cite web|title=The second parade was held on June 26, 2008 on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the national army on Azadlig Square. "It was attended by 4,510 troops, dozens of different types of military equipment.|url=http://www.turan.az/wap/2017/6/free/politics%20news/en/63520.htm|access-date=March 14, 2021|archive-date=September 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922095848/http://www.turan.az/wap/2017/6/free/politics%20news/en/63520.htm|url-status=dead}} He went on to command two subsequent parades on Azadliq Square.{{Cite web|last=F_1004|title=Azerbaijan holds big military parade to celebrate Armed Forces Day - People's Daily Online|url=http://en.people.cn/90001/90783/91321/7422090.html|access-date=2017-09-21|website=en.people.cn}}

= Foreign relations =

Under his orders, the Training and Education Center of the Armed Forces was established in accordance with the protocol which was signed between Azerbaijan and the Turkish Armed Forces in 2000.{{Cite web|title=MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN|url=https://mod.gov.az/en/training-and-educational-center-of-the-armed-forces-112/|access-date=2021-03-14|website=MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN|language=en}} In November 2011, the United States Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus met with Abiyev and President Aliyev, afterwards he announced that the military ties between their countries would expand.{{cite news|date=2011-11-22|title=Azerbaijan, U.S. to Expand Military Ties|publisher=CRI English|url=http://english.cri.cn/6966/2011/11/22/189s668238.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054640/http://english.cri.cn/6966/2011/11/22/189s668238.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 4, 2016|access-date=2011-11-25}} In 2012, Abiyev, during a meeting in Tehran with Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi declared that "No threat will be made against Iran from Azerbaijan's territory and we will not help the enemies of the Islamic Republic of Iran under any circumstances."{{Cite news|title=Azerbaijan 'Won't Be Used For Iran Attack'|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan_minister_says_territory_wont_be_used_for_attack_on_iran/24513361.html|access-date=2021-03-14|newspaper=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|date=12 March 2012 |language=en}} According to materials published by Wikileaks in December 2010, Abiyev claimed that in January 2009 during his visit to Moscow his Russian defence minister Anatoliy Serdyukov had unofficially had admitted to Russian weapon transfers to Armenia, although it officially was denied.{{cite web|date=1 December 2010|title=Embassy cables: Truth about Putin and Medvedev – over a bottle of vodka|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/197735|access-date=29 September 2016|work=The Guardian}}

= Downfall =

In early 2013, he came under criticism from demonstrators during the Baku protests, after Azerbaijani Army soldier Ceyhun Qubadov was found dead on 7 January. It was first reported that the cause of death was heart attack, however Qubadov's family asked for an investigation as they believed it was a murder. Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Fountains Square with slogans such as "Stop killing our soldiers" and "You must answer to us."{{Cite news|last=Sultanova|first=Shahla|date=2013-03-10|title=Police Scatter Demonstrators in Capital of Azerbaijan (Published 2013)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/11/world/asia/police-scatter-demonstrators-in-capital-of-azerbaijan.html|access-date=2021-03-14|issn=0362-4331}} Immediately after the internal investigation, Abiyev was fired by the order of President Ilham Aliyev. Later that year, his successor Zakir Hasanov visited the 2nd Army Corps, which was considered the Abiyev's "fortress". During the visit, he announced changes in the leadership structures, including the promotion of about 50 officers who were neglected during Abiyev's tenure.{{Cite web|title=Müdafiə naziri Zakir Həsənov Beyləqan Korpusunda "təmizləmə" aparır|url=http://pia.az/mudafie-naziri-zakir-hesenov-beyleqan-korpusunda-%C2%ABtemizleme%C2%BB-aparir-10640-xeber.html|access-date=2020-12-22|website=Pia.az News|language=en-US}}

Post-military

According to Abiyev's brother-in-law, a resident of the village of Pirvakhid (Quba), Ogtay Mammadov, the Abiyev has not been in contact with his relatives for a long time, and they have no information about his whereabouts. This caused speculation over whether he was in exile, with many saying that he and his eldest son Ruslan live in Europe.{{Cite web|url=https://ednews.net/ru/news/society/411446-bivshiy-ministr-oboroni-safar-abiev|title=Бывший министр обороны Сафар Абиев и его сын Руслан - успешно живут в Европе - ФОТО|website=Eurasia Diary|accessdate=14 December 2022}} Later, a military expert revealed that Abiyev resides is in Baku and receives a pension of more than 3,000 manats.{{cite news|url=http://vzglyad.az/mobile/news.php?id=46994&lang=ru|title=Где находится Сафар Абиев?|language=ru|work=Vzglyad}} Abiyev penned an article after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, where he praised the role of Presidents Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, declared that tensions in relations between Azerbaijan and Russia were not beneficial and that "Armenians are one of the few nations in the world that had neither a real national history, nor a homeland, nor a land.{{Cite web|url=https://haqqin.az/analytics/193854|title=Три великих героя нашей победы - нам пишет экс-министр обороны, генерал-полковник Сафар Абиев|website=haqqin.az|date=14 November 2020 |access-date=14 December 2022}}

Personal life

Abiyev has two sons: Ruslan and Roman. His elder son Ruslan Abiyev works in the tax service. His younger son Roman Abiyev is an employee of the prosecutor's office.{{Cite web|last=By|first=modern az|title=Səfər Əbiyevin oğlu haqda xəbərə aydınlıq gətirildi|url=https://modern.az/az/news/70040/sefer-ebiyevin-oglu-haqda-xebere-aydinliq-getirildi|access-date=2021-03-15|website=modern.az}}{{Cite web|last=mia.az|title=Zakir Qaralov Səfər Əbiyevin oğlu ilə bağlı əmr verdi - Roman Əbiyev vəzifədən azad edildi|url=http://mia.az/|access-date=2021-03-15|website=mia.az|language=az}}

Awards

Shohrat Order (January 26, 2010){{Cite web|url=http://e-qanun.az/print.php?internal=view&target=1&docid=19163&doctype=0|title="S.A.Əbiyevin "Şöhrət" ordeni ilə təltif edilməsi haqqında" Azərbaycan Respublikası Prezidentinin 26 yanvar 2010-cu il tarixli, 697 nömrəli Sərəncamı|accessdate=14 December 2022}}
Azerbaijani Flag Order (1995{{Cite web|url=http://e-qanun.az/print.php?internal=view&target=1&docid=9277&doctype=0|title="Azərbaycan Respublikasının hərbi qulluqçularının və polis işçilərinin bir qrupunun təltif edilməsi haqqında" Azərbaycan Respublikası Prezidentinin 4 aprel 1995-ci il tarixli, 307 nömrəli Fərmanı|accessdate=14 December 2022}} and 2003{{Cite web|url=http://e-qanun.az/print.php?internal=view&target=1&docid=2078&doctype=0|title="Azərbaycan Respublikası Müdafiə Nazirliyinin hərbi qulluqcularının təltif edilməsi haqqında" Azərbaycan Respublikası Prezidentinin 24 iyun 2003-cü il tarixli, 887 nömrəli Fərmanı|accessdate=14 December 2022}})
"10th Anniversary of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan (1991–2001)" Medal
"95th Anniversary of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan (1918–2013)" Medal
"For Faultless Service" medal
Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
Medal "For Battle Merit"
Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
Medal "For Impeccable Service"
Medal "5 years of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan"