Azeri leader turns 80 in hospital

By Chloe Arnold
BBC correspondent, Baku

Aliyev was flown to Turkey after collapsing twice during a TV speech

Azerbaijan's President, Heydar Aliyev, has been celebrating his 80th birthday in a hospital in Turkey.

Festivities in Azerbaijan were scaled down after Mr Aliyev was flown to Ankara last weekend for medical treatment.

Nevertheless, there has been a military parade in the capital Baku and world leaders have sent their congratulations.

Hundreds of servicemen from Baku's military academy assembled outside the Palace of Sport on Saturday morning to begin the march to Freedom Square in honour of the president's birthday.

Three brass bands vied for attention and those without instruments sang patriotic songs as they paraded along the Caspian sea front, but there were very few crowds to watch the spectacle and state television which usually runs continuous coverage of events like these stayed away.

Resignation calls

Heydar Aliyev was flown to Turkey last week after collapsing twice during a speech broadcast live on television.

The birthday celebrations which were to include a concert by the Baku-born cellist Mstislav Rostropovich were toned down as a result of the president's poor health, but congratulations have poured in from leaders across the world.

The US President George Bush wished Mr Aliyev health and happiness, and a university in San Francisco awarded him an honorary degree.

Despite his ill health, on the streets of Baku many people said they were proud their president had reached such a venerable age.

Opposition newspapers have said the president is seriously ill and should step aside.

Earlier on Saturday, Turkish television showed a frail Heydar Aliyev meeting his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Necdet Sezer.

However it was not clear when the meeting had taken place.