‘I restate that President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Heydar Aliyev feels well. Mr. President is completing his examination and treatment and shortly has to return to the Country. Examination and treatment of Mr. President at the ‘Gulhane’ Military Medical Academy is ending and he is shortly to return to the Country.

In such case, it is inadmissible to disseminate false, slanderous information, instill in the people concern, and attempt to violate the stability hardly achieved in the Country. We once were the witnesses to what it leads.

The opposition press of the Republic has stepped over all the principles of moral and ethics. Correspondents of the opposition press, calling themselves ‘journalists’, violating the notion of democracy, are engaged in true terrorism in the press. These media terrorists should be exposed and punished in the framework of democratic and legal norms. It is necessary to urgently put an end to the campaign of false and slander, pursued against the policy of the head of our state, our President, elected of our people’s will. I call on our intelligentsia, scientists, and jurists, to raise their voice of protest against the handful impudent terrorist from media. It is necessary to say a resolute ‘No!’ to the hostile activity, based on no serious source, and only stained with rage and hate. I reiterate, the terrorists from media should be exposed and punished.

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STATEMENT BY THE MINISTRY OF NATIONAL SECURITY OF AZERBAIJAN

Radical opposition press including the ‘Yeni Musavat’, ‘Azadlig’, ‘Hurriyyet’, ‘Jumhuriyyet’ and ‘Novoye Vremya’ newspapers referring to www.avrasiyaturk.com have disseminated the reports to the effect that ‘according to unofficial sources, President Heydar Aliyev has allegedly passed away at the Ankara ‘Gulhane’ Military Medical Academy.’

We unambiguously state that the information is a lie and a new form of the dirty struggle the destructive opposition has been pursuing on the eve of the run-up elections.

According to the operational information by the Ministry of National Security, although the above-mentioned website was registered under the name of Togrul Jangavarli in the US city of Levitson, in reality it belongs to Rasul Guliyev, staying in this country as an immigrant. The ‘unofficial sources’ of the website are Khanim Khalilova, functionary of the ‘Yeni Musavat’ Party in Turkey, and the Turkish journalist Irfan Sapmaz. The false information was just prepared and disseminated by them at their next meeting at the Marmara hotel in Itsanbul.

The Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan considers the actions of the radical and destructive opposition as violation of stability in the country, as a regular provocation aimed at keeping the population in panic and assesses as an attempt on our statehood.

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PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA EDUARD SHEVARDNADZE AND PACE VICE-PRESIDENT AND BUREAU MEMBER ILHAM ALIYEV HAD PHONE CONVERSATION

President Eduard Shedvardnadze and the PACE Vice-president and Bureau member Ilham Aliyev had a phone conversation on 1 August, the embassy of Georgia in Baku told AZERTAC.Mr. Shevardnadze, expressing his wish not to disturb personally President Heydar Aliyev, interested in detail in health of the head of the Azerbaijani state. Mr. Ilham Aliyev thanked President of Georgia, saying that President Heydar Aliyev feels well, and examination and treatment process is in progress. President Eduard Shevardnadze wished health to his dear friend, President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev and expressed confidence in his quick recovery and return to Motherland.