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â€œI am going to work till the end of my lifeâ€

17 July 2007 10:49 (UTC +04:00)

-You have recently celebrated your 69th birthday. What are the impressions?
-Let met remind you popular Russian song â€œDen rojdeniya grustniy prazdnikâ€ (Birthday, sad holiday). I used to be surprised when I hear the song before. But now I understand the very sense. You used to be hopeful for the future. Just you think everything will be ok one day. However the time goes and you realize that nothing will happen. I would say my birthday is a very sad day.
- Are you satisfied with your life?
- Of course, I am. I would live this life again. I have come across many difficulties in life. I would have never imagined being under fire. I happened to be reporter in Karabakh during the war. Me and my operator Nadir Zeynalof were targeted by Armenian firearms. Nadir could escape but I could not. I dug a trench for myself. But I donâ€™t say this for pride. It was my duty. But sometimes I get furious to see there are only two favorable occupations in the country: driving and trading. All the basements in Baku are used us either shop or kebabkhana (fast food) and the streets are full of taxies. There are over 20 taxies at the corner of every building. This not developmentâ€¦
- What about your long-time activity in ANS?
- I never forget ANS and it forgets me. I worked for this television despite my health problems. All ANS personnel congratulated me on my birthday.
- Many think that ANS is not any more devoted to its previous principlesâ€¦
- Opinions may differ. Our main program is news service. ANS may have not organize various shows. You will witness new programs in new season. I know that most watch news on ANS and I take pride in that.
- There are reports that the television is controlled after it has resumed its activityâ€¦
- It is rumor, there is no controller. You can come and see. What other channel invites an opposition leader? It is ANS that covers all rallies in the country. We try to ceover both parties. We do work hard. Our â€œIc xheberâ€ (Domestic News) program is worth while watching. We receive hundreds of letters from different regions of the country every week.
- Were you satisfied with the societyâ€™s reaction when ANS was suspended?
- Some even proposed holding street rallies that time. But we did not agree. We knew that rally is for the benefit of some political forces not us. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in an interview stressed his supports for ANS TV. When Heydar Aliyev was first hospitalized in Cleveland Clinic he first called Mir Shahin to make public his bad health and that he would return to the country as soon as he felt well. Why did Heydar Aliyev chose only ANS? He knew that ANS is the only channel providing news service. The suspension of the television showed us who is who. We came to know our friends and enemiesâ€¦ Only 25 members of the parliament supported us. But all of them used to be our friends before. I must stress the positive reactions of President Ilham Aliyev, Mehriban Aliyeva, Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh, Ogtay Mirgasimov, Farhad Khalilov and many others. We should write the history of ANS. We have not had a premise for 16 years, all suitable buildings have been rented. Some media outlets also supported us. However, there are some who libel us. They say the late Chingiz Mustafayev got 20million from BP in return of handing the company a map of oil fields of the Caspian Sea. And he opened ANS by this money. This is mere lieâ€¦I feel pity for Eynulla Fatullayev. God help him. You are not a microphone but journalist, you must think before writing. It is racketing for money. No one has taken bribe in ANS, you can ask. Vahid Mustafayev wants to work for 48 hours a day.
- What is your assessment of current journalism in Azerbaijan?
- Young journalists who have just graduated know nothing. We cannot recruit young journalist. We give classes in television. Higher schools should qualify producers. Foreign specialists should be invited if necessary. Television work is not easy, we lack professionals. The current program at journalism faculty should be improved. This program does not work.
- Arenâ€™t you going to retire?
- I can rest or ten days maximally. I would fall if I do not come to work after that. I cannot stand without working. So, I am going to work till the end of my life. /APA/