Does Ilham Aliyev Want a Professional Army?

Speaking on 15 January at the Cabinet meeting, Aliyev said he would not allow "individual elements to blacken the army." What exactly he had in mind was not clear, but the public regarded it as the head of state’s response to protests over the soldiers' deaths and the requirements to deal with the shortcomings and to punish those responsible.

"It is clear that the President is not interested in creating strong effective armed forces and liberating territories from occupation. This is confirmed by his recent assessment of the situation in the army. If he was interested in the liberation of the territories, the numerous oil revenues would be directed to the development of a highly skillful army, well armed and able to fight in the mountainous terrain," the head of the Institute for Peace and Democracy Leila Yunus told Turan, commenting on the speech by Ilham Aliyev.

During nearly 10 years in power, Aliyev not only failed to create a professional army, but also caused damage to the military, which is mired in corruption, bullying and crime.

Georgia has a professional army, and they have been created and established in most countries, but Azerbaijan does not step in that direction," said the human rights activist.

Military psychologist Azad Isazadeh believes that the opinion of the Chief of the army regarding non-blackening should be accepted. Civil society and the political leadership of the country should monitor the situation in the army.

The responsibility does not belong to individual officers or generals, but to the whole nation.

The army's military interests should be reflected in all patriotic forces of the country. "We have already experienced during the Karabakh war facts, when the exhausted army became a victim of political games, leaving entire regions", said Isazadeh. “Therefore, in no case we can allow such things again. But we need to raise the status of the military in the society, so that the parents would send their sons to the army with a clear conscience, and the profession of an army officer would be one of the most respected ones,” he said. -04B-