Ambassador Mammad Aliyev stated: ‘It has been three month since Star TV in inexplicable collaboration with the Azerbaijan ‘Yeni Musavat’ Party, started the purposeful, worthless and slanderous campaign against the architect of the Baku-Ceyhan project, our highly very respected president Heydar Aliyev. As 15 October presidential election in Azerbaijan is coming, the worthless, groundless and legally unacceptable campaign is continuing and intensifying.

We are well aware of those who patronize this dirty campaign. The intervention of the Turkish newspaper ‘Star’ and Star TV in the interior affairs of our country and their support of the ‘Musavat’ Party on the eve of the 15 October 2003 presidential election in Azerbaijan, gave concern to the people of Azerbaijan.

So, false and slanderous reports in relation to the medical examination of our President Heydar Aliyev at the Gulhane Military Medical Academy were spread at 7.30 p.m. July 22, 2003. The fanny and invented statements that allegedly $34 million is monthly spent for the examination of our president were published in the above-mentioned Azerbaijani newspaper quoted from the Ankara office of the ‘Star Yayim Grupu’.

The President of Azerbaijan does not suffer from eight diseases as they write: that is an absolute lie. Both Azerbaijani, Turkish and international community is aware that Heydar Aliyev had the heart-disease only, and it is not a secret that he had undergone the heart surgery in the United States.

Contrary to the ‘Star’s statements, his medical examination is undergoing according to the agreement between Turkey and Azerbaijan without any payments. The Azerbaijani side pays the Presidential guard’s living expenses only.

The Ambassador further said that the representatives of the Star TV and ‘Star Yayim Grupu’ are doing their best to undermine the relations between the two friendly countries. ‘In this connection, Mammad Aliyev said, ’we make a protest against the dirty campaign launched by the newspapers and TV channels of the ‘Star Yayim Grupu’ against President Heydar Aliyev, the leadership of Azerbaijan, and announce that in accordance with the law of the Turkish Republic we are going to commence the appropriated judicial procedure’.

Afterwards, responding to the questions from journalists, the Ambassador let them know that President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev was feeling well and continues to undergo examination. He added as well that the reliable information could be received not from ‘Star Yayim Grupu’ and its shady sources but directly from Dr. of Medicine, Admiral Ertan Demirtash, responsible representatives of the Gulhane Medical Academy, officials of Azerbaijan and its embassy in Turkey.

In conclusion, the Ambassador noted once again that the President was feeling well, and the date of Heydar Aliyev’s return to homeland depends on the President himself.