Abulfaz Elchibey

President of Azerbaijan

24 June 1938 Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan SSR

22 August 2000(2000-08-22) (62) Ankara, Turkey

16 June 1992 – 1 September 1993

Azerbaijani statesman (1938–2000) Abulfaz Elchibey (Azerbaijani: Əbülfəz Elçibəy / Әбүлфәз Елчибәј; 24 June 1938 in Nakhchivan – 22 August 2000 in Ankara) was an Azerbaijani political figure and a former Soviet dissident. His real name was Abulfaz Gadirgulu oglu Aliyev (Azerbaijani: Əbülfəz Qədirqulu oğlu Əliyev / Әбүлфәз Гәдиргулу оғлу Әлијев), but he assumed the nickname of "Elçibəy" (Azerbaijani for the "noble messenger") upon his leadership of the Azerbaijani Popular Front in 1990. Elchibey was the president of Azerbaijan, serving from 16 June 1992 until his overthrow in a coup d'état in June 1993. He positioned himself as an overt pan-Turkist, and strongly anti-Iran.