Chairman of State Committee for Religious Associations is second on Nur list of Azerbaijan
Chairman of the State Committee for Religious Associations Elshad Iskandarov is the second one on the Nur list, which was passed by the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan to the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. This, as noted in the article of Eynulla Fatullayev published on "Haqqin.az," was stated by one of the leading experts of the analytical center of Turkey, standing close to the security services.
"Iskandarov truly concerns us. He is a cunning, sly, cynical, unscrupulous careerist who is ready to betray Gulen for power and to join the Shaitan. Though he joined the Shaitan back in 2000, when he warked as the first secretary in your representation at the UN. That's when he got into the gulenists’ network, in their sharp and tenacious tentacles," stated Eynulla Fatullayev’s interlocutor .
As noted in the article, Elshad Iskandarov, the son of one of the closest associates of the last head of the KGB (Committee for State Security – edt.) of Azerbaijan Vagif Huseynov, the head of the economic department of the KGB Colonel Huseyin Iskenderov - in his early years began to work for the KGB of Azerbaijan. By the help of his father he made his way through the Office of Foreign Intelligence service of Azerbaijani MNS.
"However, it is difficult to refute one thing - Elshad Iskandarov, just like his father, could never be suspected of special reverence to Aliyev – neither to the older nor to the younger. During the period of disgrace of his father, who never managed to get a pardon and rehabilitated in the eyes of the new political leadership, Elshad Iskandarov found a new patron in Anar Mamedkhanov – a star ascended on the political horizon of Azerbaijan in late 90s," the author notes .
Expert of the Analytical Center of Turkey said that by the efficient information of the Turkish services, Iskandarov together with Elnur Aslanov developed a concrete plan of action to promote the Nur literature in Azerbaijan and began to bring it to life.
"We received the first signal after the publication of the new religious literature. They invited one of the applicants to the restaurant "Zeitoun" to obtain the publishing rights. They were completely that it was out man. During Iskandarov’s dinner with Aslanov they were strongly urging him to publish a book about the Nurs – saying that the State Committee will finance only this literature," said the expert.
According to him, without the support of the representatives of Jamaat of Fetkhullah Gülen Elshad Iskandarov would never get this appointment: "He was prepared. It was a well-designed plan and magnificent springboard to jump to Baku. It was extremely important for the Gulenists to capture the State Committee on Religion in Azerbaijan, because before that in 2011 the former chairman of the State Committee Hidayat Orujov dismissed his deputy Elchin Askerov. The latter was the protégé of Elnur Aslanov and Elshad Iskenderov. In 2005 Elnur Aslanov, who was at the office of the assistant of the chief of staff of the Presidential administration, pushed Elchin Askerov to the position of the deputy chairman of the State Committee."