Interview with journalist and researcher Akif Ashirli about one of the founders of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, Nasib Bey Yusifbeyli:
- Nasib Bey Yusifbeyli is one of the most influential politicians and ideologues in the history of Azerbaijani social and political life. He was one of those who laid the foundation for the creation of political parties in Azerbaijan. In 1905, the Difai Party was founded. One of the founders of the anti-terrorist coalition formed by Azerbaijani intellectuals to counter Armenian terror was Nasib Bey Yusifbeyli. In the years 1905-06 Difai confronted Armenian terror and promoted later by Nasib Bey Yusifbeyli, Naghi Bey Sheykhzamanli and Ahmed Bey Agaoglu, it entered a new phase of development. In 1917 it became the Turkic Federalist Party. At the end of 1917 the Turkic Federalist Party joined the Musavat Party. Until that time the Musavat Party was not nationwide. Its main social base until 1917 was the capital Baku and the surrounding area. This was the main reason that the Musavat Party won supremacy in the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and formed the basis of the Cabinet of Ministers. After the Musavat Party merged with the Turkic Federalist Party headed by Nasib Bey Yusifbeyli, it turned into a national party. And then it became the ruling party. It should also be noted that the Turkic Federalist Party had a very great influence in Ganja and around this city, and in Borchali and Geycha. Its association with Rasulzade played a very important role for sovereign Azerbaijan.
- Who was Nasib Bey Yusifbeyli?
- He was born in Ganja in 1881. He grew up in a family of intellectuals. His first education was in a theological school in Ganja. In 1902 he went to Odessa and entered the law faculty. Nariman Narimanov was another student there. They were close friends despite the fact that Narimanov studied at the medical faculty and Nasib Bey studied to become a lawyer. Together with them, another Azerbaijani, Khosrov Bey Sultanov also studied in Odessa then. Subsequently, these three students played a special role in the socio - political life and in the creation of statehood in Azerbaijan. Khosrov Bey Sultanov became Governor General of Karabakh. Though he was the first Defense Minister of Azerbaijan, the agency was liquidated later with the advent of the Islamic Army of the Caucasus. But he was the first civilian Defense Minister.
- What did these three students in Odessa do for the benefit of Azerbaijan?
- These three students created the Compatriots Party there. They played a very important role when in the lands under Russian rule Turkism and the national movement began to awaken. And they drew their inspiration from Ismail Bey Gaspiraly. While in Bakhchisaray, Gaspiraly produced the newspaper Tercuman. Nariman Narimanov had very good relations with Ismail Bey and he later introduced him to Nasib Bey. Once Odessa University closed, he continued his legal education in Kharkov. And then he did not return to Azerbaijan and worked with Ismail Bey Gaspiraly, whom he met as a student in his newspaper Tercuman. And it played a very important role in shaping his views and in the growth of his social and political activity in the service of the development of the Turkic- Muslim movement.
- You did the research about his family. Tell us about a few unknown facts related to his family ...
- Nasib Bey married the daughter of Ismail Bey Gaspiraly - Shafiga Khanum Gaspiraly. They had two children. The son was named Niyazi and the daughter was named Zahra. In 1909 Nasib Bey divorced Shafiga Khanum. They were a very cultured family. They divorced because of the collapse of their family happiness. But what exactly was the reason is unknown today. This is stated in the book written by Shafiga Khanum Gaspiraly. Although they divorced, they kept good relationship. Niyazi and Zahra remained with Shafiga Khanum. And Nasib Bey did his fatherly duty towards the children. He promptly visited the children and met them. And indeed Shafiga Khanum, despite the fact that they had to divorce, very politely spoke about Nasib Bey. Their love was boundless. Shafiga Khanum never married. Nasib Bey married, but had no children with his new wife. These letters were researched and published by Aziza Jafarzade.
- Did his family move to Baku?
- In 1918 the People's Democratic Republic was established. Thereafter Shafiga Khanum and her children moved to Baku. But after the coup on April 28, 1920, she took the kids and left for Istanbul. And Nasib Bey stayed here. Then the Bolsheviks were hunting for the leaders of the Democratic Republic. After April 28 Nasib Bey tried to go to Georgia. By this time most of the leaders of the People's Democratic Republic had already moved to Georgia with a view to re-establish the organization and oppose the Bolsheviks. Georgia was not yet turned to a Soviet state at the time. It had not yet come under the sphere of influence of the Bolsheviks. Nasib Bey together with his driver starts the trip. Then a very influential landowner in Yevlakh, Ashraf Bey Garkhunlu also wanted to move to Georgia. Ashraf Bey was a very influential man and had recently been even a Member of Parliament. But their way was blocked by secret Bolshevik agents, who hunted for Ashraf Bey. They knew what authority and force belonged to Nasib Bey in the Democratic Republic and therefore developed a plan to eliminate him. Along the way, in Kurdamir, they stopped their car and shot them.
- Until now, questions arise in connection with the absence of Nasib Bey’s grave. How was he killed?
- His car was stopped and shot. Nasib Bey died there and the seriously wounded driver managed to escape. Nasib Bey’s body was removed from the car and thrown by the wayside. The Bolsheviks thought in Nasib Bey’s travel bag they would find gold, jewelry, or money belonging to the Democratic Republic. When they looked into the bag, they saw that there were only a shirt and a toothbrush, i.e. only things that you need for everyday life.
- And was his family not interested in his fate?
- Shafiga Khanum knew about his death, when she was in Istanbul. In general, his death only became known later, because he was eliminated under conditions of secrecy. This is the reason that his body was never found. Shafiga Khanum Gaspiraly began a search. She looked for Nasib Bey and wrote letters, but her letters received no answer. After some time, she accidentally met the survived driver of Nasib Bey in Istanbul. At the meeting, he told her about what happened.
- Let us go back to his family. What were his children? What did they do?
- The son of Nasib Bey Yusifbayli, Niyazi was born in 1908. He changed his surname to Kurdamir and became known as Niyazi Kurdamir. He chose this pseudonym because his father was killed in Kurdamir. He graduated from Galatasaray University. In Turkey, we did not find any articles associated with his name in the media. Niyazi Yusifbeyli Kurdamir became one of the leading persons during the assembly of expatriates in Turkey. He signed his publications with the Kurdamir pseudonym and knew several languages. He died in 1962, in connection with that, such newspapers as Hurriyyet and Milliyyet published condolences. Niyazi Bey published both as Yusifbeyli and Kurdamir. For example, in 1952 he signed the series called Turkish Trace as Niyazi Yusifbeyli, and in 1956 - as Niyazi Kurdamir.
- Did Niyazi Bey have children, that is, are Nasib Bey’s grandchildren alive today? What do you know about them?
- Today two children of Niyazi Bey live in Ankara. One is Shaig Kurdamir Gaspiraly. I keep in touch with him. We communicate by phone and e-mail. He is a lawyer. I lead a very extensive research with his help. I managed to get 8 articles by Niyazi Kurdamir. In his article on the events of April 28, he touches some very important issues. From the article, it is clear that on April 28 they were at Ahmed Bey Agaoglu’s place. They themselves did not understand what happened.
"Where is our army, why are they not resisting them?" he asked. He wrote that “due to the dangers posed by the last accident we were taken by the Prime Minister’s (his father’s) train departing to Ganja."
Niyazi actively participated in several companies related to Azerbaijan. He was a close friend of Hasan Bey Zardabi’s son. Together they published a magazine. Niyazi Bey perfectly knew several languages. Therefore, he was responsible for international relations in the Olympic Committee of Turkey. He worked selflessly for the glorification of Turkey in the world sports arena and managed the organization of sports games.
Another of his children is called Nasib. He is alive and lives in Izmir. That is, two of his children are still alive. The children of Nasib Bey’s daughter Zahra live in Germany. She herself lived in Istanbul until 1995.
- Do we all sufficiently know Nasib Bey, a man, whose tomb is not even known?
He was an outstanding mind. We should erect a monument to him. It is necessary to investigate his journalism and political activities. Despite the fact that he divorced the daughter of Ismail Bey Gaspiraly, when dying, Ismail Bey willed everything to him, and not to his own daughter. For obvious reasons he has no grave. Such was the policy of the Bolsheviks.
Elmin Nuri
ANN.Az
