EBULFEZ ELCIBEY                                   

        

ELCIBEY, TALKS  ABOUT ELCIBEY       I worked to evoke national awareness among the students with all my power. I accounted to nobody. I was hiding many things from even my close friends. I established groups of three, five, seven and nine people. One betrayed us. I was arrested on 15 January 1975. I stayed in prison for 1.5 years. I was not blaming any teacher and student (even KGB agents). I had only one enemy, imperialism! The others were its poor servants!

       I was born in “Halil Yurdu” plateau of Keleki village of Ordubad province of Azerbaijan in June of 1938 . My father, “Kadirkulu Aliyev Merdan oğlu” had died during his military service in Russian-German war (Second World War). My mother’s name is Mehrinisa. I know that I am a Turk.

 

       Maybe I have many signs of Shamanism.I feel that I am an Oghuz due to my calmness, sometimes I say that I am a Kipcak when I get angry. I went to Ordubad No. 1 Secondary School after I studied Unus 7-year School until 7th class. I lived the following just like all village children there: We walked around barefooted. We went to school barefooted. There is a village named Unus, neighboring us, I studied there from 1st class to 7th class (there was no school in our village). My biggest desire was to be a doctor until I completed 7th class. In 8th class, I got interested in history, and perceiving community, and began to read “Capital” of Marx.They had propagandized: Capital is the so-called greatest book in the world. I could not understand much when I read Capital then.My teachers and my student friends had a sarcastic point of view about me, as usual.

       I fasted as from my young ages (I did not want my teachers to know that I am secretly fasting), and I sometimes performed my prayer with my mother. I heard that a Faculty of Orientalism was to be opened in Azerbaijan State University (today Baku University). I got prepared for this faculty to understand better our poets like Nizami, Hakani, Fuzuli and others. I was enrolled with the Arabic Philology field of Orientalism Department (then under Philology Faculty) of the University in 1957.

       Historical-political issues worried me more while I studied in 2nd and 3rd classes. I saw that our people were living in a disaster with my youth point of view. I had experienced South Azerbaijan calamity when I was eight. I did not know then which year of history it was. Then I found out that it was 1946. Men, women, girls passing north by diving into Araz in the midnight (many of them were drowned) were climbing to our Keleki village; at nights, they knocked on our doors, and we used to open... People who suffered all kinds of pains... Within one or two days, government officers came and took them somewhere else.

 

       I asked my mother: Who are these men, why is this woman crying? Who killed the this child’s father? Why is his clothes bloody? The following words remained in my memory: "How am I supposed to know? They are unfortunate, brother killed brother. Our people died in war, and now these unfortunate ones kill each other. May God punish Hitler. May God for Stalin, too!". These remarks were left in my ear for all of my life. I incurred many mistreatments frequently as I grew up, like everyone else. When I got conscious, I saw that this great, big people is striving in a national calamity.

       They called me “millet” in my childhood. They also called me “millet” in the university. Then I thought, who am I, what should I be. “Millet” derives from Arabic. Then I thought that we should use Turkish, “Elçi” is a better word. I should use “Elçi”, instead of “Milletçi”.

       I graduated from the university in 1962. After I went under training for 7-8 months, they sent us, 5-6 friends, to Egypt where Assuan Dam was being built. After I returned from Azarbaijan, I directed all my power to awakening of national consciousness among students. I accounted to nobody. I was hiding many things from even my close friends. I established groups of three, five, seven and nine people. Because I knew that they inform very quickly. Someone betrayed us. I was arrested on 15 January 1975. I stayed in prison for 1.5 years. I was not blaming any teacher and student (even KGB agents). I had only one enemy, imperialism! The others were its poor servants! I felt pity for these poor generals and officers. My duty was to struggle against oppressive imperialism, sold people would be punished by the history. So did it.

       The reason why I got married late was that: We had agreed with my friends, we are going to be arrested, so we should not make a family. So happened, we got arrested. Afterwards, the roots of the problem changed. Some escaped from struggle on the pretext that: It is easy for Ebulfez, he is single, he has no family, no children (Now he has a daughter Çilenay, a son Ertugrul). It is easy for you, but you have a family and children. Many got away from the arena by saying this. Then I thought that I also should have a family. If I am walking this path, I have to sacrifice a family, children too. This is not only, me there are hundreds of examples before us. Who are we compared to Mehmed Emin Resûlzade?

 

       One of the nicest days of my life is establishment of Azerbaijan People’s Front and my being elected as its president on 16 July 1989. My biggest shocks are: 20-23 January 1990, Daşaltı medical operation, Hocalı disaster, Şuşa and Laçin Betrayal... The greatest sadness for me is to lose my friends (in all of its senses).

My love- Nation!

My desire- Independence and justice!

My Obedience- My teachers!

My debt- to my friends and colloquies!

My hate- liars and shameless people!

       THESE ARE WHAT HE DID NOT TALK ABOUT

       Ebulfez Elçi Bey, the President of Azerbaijan People’s Front, was elected as the first president of Republic of Azerbaijan with a majority of 63 % in elections held on 6 June 1992.

       However, his being a pure Turkist and advocating Turkish Union (Turan) ideal disturbed Russia. Russia ensured his being removed from government with a coup d'état it arranged by means of its agents.

       Ebulfez Elçibey went to Keleki Village in Nahcivan, where he was born. He lived there for years. At last he returned to Baku in 1997. He resumed his political struggle. But it was impossible to pursue the struggle by democratic means. He boycotted Presidency election. He continued his scientific and intellectual studies.

       He went to Turkey when he got ill in early 2000. He was first treated in Hacettepe and then GATA hospital. But he could not recover from that merciless disease. He passed away in the morning on 22 August Tuesday.

       May his place be heaven! May his name survive! Youth like Elçibey to be grown up in the future will definitely keep his memory and ideal alive always.

       This is the most meaningful stand for respect to Ebulfez Elçibey’s holy personality.