"Why should there be a problem so that some forces can use it?!"

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Question: Rey Bey, who do you think displeased the war veterans? And what are the reasons behind these protests?

Answer: The state is doing a lot to solve the problems of war veterans. On the eve of the 44-day war, President Ilham Aliyev signed more than 40 decrees and orders and amended the legislation. Many war veterans were presented with cars and apartments. A Unified Coordination Center has been established on the basis of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population (MLSPP). It includes seven government bodies. In the past, war veterans and families of martyrs visited these seven bodies to solve a problem, but now they turn to only one center. As I said, a lot has been done. However, despite all this, many problems remain. There are two main reasons for the problem. The first is the problems created by the legislation, and the second is the problems created by the arbitrariness of officials. Both factors are faced by the majority of war veterans today. Resolution No. 413 of the Cabinet of Ministers (RESOLUTION OF THE CABINET OF MINISTERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN on the approval of the Regulations on the criteria for determining disability and limited health opportunities) is incorrect and false. The resolution was made without reading it in the Milli Majlis. While various government bodies were required to comment on the resolution, no government body commented on it. The root of the problem is in that resolution.

The arbitrariness of officials stems from both official negligence and the problems created by the legislation. The official must correctly explain the problem and take steps to solve it so that this gap can reach the higher instances, i.e. the legislature, and a solution can be found.

Question: Do you think that the recent protests are justified protests or as many media outlets and, of course, those behind the media claim, said, there are others who have an interest and a finger in straining the process by bringing war veterans forward?

Answer: In fact, these problems can be solved in a very simple way. But they do not solve them. It is not just about one ministry. There are the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Health, and other ministries with which people with disabilities communicate and have problems. Even in those ministries, they are sometimes indifferent to the problems of war veterans and the families of martyrs. I sometimes think that there are some forces behind it. But when I think about it, I say, why should there be a problem so that we think there are some forces behind it?! Or why should there be a problem so that some forces can use it?! There is no single answer to this question.

Although some media outlets say that there are forces behind these events, I do not think so. As I said, there should be no problem for any forces to take advantage of it. Our organization has always raised these issues and offered solutions. But they did not solve it. There is a very serious approach to solving problems in the example of the country's first person Ilham Aliyev and second person Mehriban Aliyeva. But we don't see that in the below positions. This is where the problem begins. Looking at the incident that took place during the protest in front of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population, it is clear that the police were directly responsible for the incident. It took the incident to the point. If the police had opened the door there, that incident would not have happened.

Let me tell you something. 12,000 people who took part in the 44-day war have not been given the status of a war veteran. The 1990s were blamed for incompetence and lack of documentation. Well, in today's world of modern technology, two years after the 44-day war, why aren't 12,000 war veterans given the status of a war veteran? There is a man who won five medals and was wounded twice but cannot receive the status of a war veteran. What does it mean? How should that war veteran feel? What should he do? The root of all problems is first in the Ministry of Defense. There is bribery, corruption, and nepotism. Of those 12,000 war veterans, 5,000 have already been given the status of a war veteran, and 7,000 remain. Is nothing sacred? Who directed this from abroad? Who is inciting this? It is the people in charge of the Ministry of Defense who are inciting this. Those who stand behind this are people like Zakir Hasanov.

Question: After the last protest of the war veterans in front of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population, the media began to write slanderous articles against these veterans. Why do the authorities, instead of taking adequate steps in such cases, try to discredit the protesters and divert attention from their problems by disseminating such information?

Answer: This was the case in our time too. Ramiz Mehdiyev from within the government was playing his disgusting game. First, he wanted to divert the legitimate problems of the war veterans in different directions. As if there was a political tone here. The statement of the then Minister of National Security, Namig Abbasov, is still in the archives. That was after the 2001 rally. The same statement was made in the media. He said there was no political motive behind the protest and that this was a social problem. Despite this, the war veterans began to be slandered. The same process is going on today. I know all this. It is a very shameful act. It is shameful to tarnish a war veteran, to look down on him, to slander him, to have him feel indebted on the air by mentioning what the state gave him. It is the right of the war veteran. It is the duty of every citizen to protect the state and the homeland. But it is also the duty of the state to deal with their problems. A campaign was launched against the war veterans in 2016. People who were not in the war inspected the war veterans. In other words, people who did not have the right to inspect the war veterans irritated them. This method is a shameful method coming from the time of Ramiz Mehdiyev. It seems that Ramiz Mehdiyev's ruins still remain in the Presidential Administration. Instead of blaming the war veterans, it is necessary to solve their problem. It is a very wrong way. War veterans are humiliated, especially on TV channels and websites. This is unacceptable and should be condemned.

Question: War veterans are dissatisfied not only with ministries but also with other government bodies, especially local executive and government bodies in the cities and districts where they live. Where does this attitude towards war veterans, who are a sensitive part of society, come from? Who is responsible for dissatisfying war veterans and increasing tensions between them?

Answer: As the Karabakh War Veterans Public Union, we wanted a state committee to be established. But the Unified Coordination Center was established. These centers do not yet exist in all districts. By the order of the President, a department for the families of martyrs and wounded was established in the district and city executive authorities. 90% of these departments are appointed by the district executive authorities. Among them are people who wait for orders from officials and depend on them. Today, they do not express the rights and problems of the war veterans. One of the reasons for suicides is that war veterans are not paid attention in time. The executive authorities should take care of the war veterans, regardless of whether they apply or not.

Question: How do you think the situation can be improved in the current situation? What steps should the government take?

Answer: One of the main problems for war veterans today is the degree of disability. Which is also linked to the MLSPP. However, this issue is regulated by Resolution No. 413 of the Cabinet of Ministers adopted in 2015. That resolution must be amended. Second, the department for work with the families of martyrs and the wounded, established in the district and city executive authorities, must restructure its work. The head of the district executive power should not turn them into his vassals. Third, war veterans need to be organized. Perhaps the government is wary of this issue. But if they are not organized, the relationship is broken. The best psychological support for them is to be in contact with each other. This is the solution to the problem. We need to start from that point. In general, the Ministry of Defense is not interested in soldiers and officers after the war. Senior officers can receive treatment. No officer below the rank of major can receive treatment or be admitted to the hospital. This approach needs to change.