BBC Monitoring Service, TURAN News Agency,
14, January 2008

Baku, 14 January: ANS TV company and the Cingiz Mustafayev foundation which belongs to it have announced Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev the person of the year for the second time.

This award (a sum of money and a Swiss watch) has been given several times already and four times it went to members of the Aliyev family: twice to [late President] Heydar Aliyev, once to [first lady] Mehriban Aliyeva and now to Ilham Aliyev [as given].

The press release of the TV station in this regard says that Ilham Aliyev was announced the person of the year for "six significant achievements in 2007":

- laying the foundation for the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, "despite the opposition of a number of major countries";

- strengthening Azerbaijan's positions in the system of international energy security and delivering gas to Europe;

- balanced policy against the background of deteriorating relations between the USA and Iran, "which warded off the danger from Azerbaijan";

- implementing infrastructure projects in the capital, creating jobs, removing the last [refugee] tent camp and improving the population's socioeconomic situation;

- military build-up, the manufacture of the first product for military purposes; dramatic increase of the military budget;

- "for exceptional role in restoring the broadcasts of ANS TV stations and issuing licences and releasing journalists".

The final point in this list of achievements draws special attention. The ANS TV station was closed for three weeks in 2006. This took place on 24 November. The National TV and Radio Council claimed that the TV station was punished over its "failure to comply" with legal requirements. While commenting on the situation on 29 November, President Ilham Aliyev said that "the law is same for everyone and nobody can be above the law, including the owners of TV stations". Aliyev then went on to say that that the operations of ANS would resume "if all demands and claims of the National TV and Radio Council are settled".

The ANS management then did not comment on Ilham Aliyev's remarks. On 12 December the chairman of the National TV and Radio Council, Nusiravan Maharramli, said that he had no claims against the TV station and that ANS could resume broadcasts.

ANS announced [Chairman of the Board of Muslims of the Caucasus] Sheykh Allahsukur Pasazada the person of the year in 2006.