Abulfez Elchibey, (Azerbaijani: Əbülfəz Elçibəy; June 24, 1938, Nakhchivan – August 22, 2000, Ankara) was an Azerbaijani political figure and a former Soviet dissident. His real name was Abülfaz Qadirqulu oğlu Aliyev, but he assumed the nickname of "Elçibay" (Azerbaijani for the "noble messenger") upon his leadership of the Azerbaijani Popular Front in 1990. Elchibey was the first elected non-communist President of Azerbaijan, serving from June 1...
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Abulfez Elchibey, (Azerbaijani: Əbülfəz Elçibəy; June 24, 1938, Nakhchivan – August 22, 2000, Ankara) was an Azerbaijani political figure and a former Soviet dissident. His real name was Abülfaz Qadirqulu oğlu Aliyev, but he assumed the nickname of "Elçibay" (Azerbaijani for the "noble messenger") upon his leadership of the Azerbaijani Popular Front in 1990. Elchibey was the first elected non-communist President of Azerbaijan, serving from June 16, 1992 until his overthrow in a coup d'état in June 1993.
Elchibey's rise to presidency came after the first round of heavy losses of Azerbaijan in the war against Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. After the tragic Khojaly Massacre (February 26 - 27, 1992), the fall of Shusha (May 8, 1992) and Lachin (May 15-17, 1992), the temporary Azerbaijani communist establishment led by Yaqub Mammadov could no longer hold power. Amidst the disorder on the frontline, former Azerbaijani president Ayaz Mutalibov's attempted comeback, two months...
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