Suleyman Rustam
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Suleyman Rustam (born in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 1906) is an azerbaijani poet and politician and the current Prime minister of Azerbaijan.
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Biography
Early Life
Suleyman Rustam was born in 1906 in the Novkhani district of Baku, at that time part of the Russian Empire and now capital of Azerbaijan. In the 1920s he graduated from the Baku State University and later from the Moscow State University.
He became famous in 1926 when "Yesterday is Today" was published: the poems contained in the books, written together with Almas Ildyrym, contained strong nationalistic themes that caused a sensation among the population and were much appreciated for its attacks towards Armenia, Georgia and Russia. In 1930 Rustam published a poem, "My Tabriz", regarding the region of Tabris, now part of Persia but once part of Azerbaijan before the region was split between Persia and Russia by the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813. Again, his poem was much appreciated by the local population, even if it worsened the relations with Persia.
Prime Minister of Azerbaijan
In 1932 President Rajib Kulbenzhian, pressed by the nationalist faction to give a role in the government to Rustam, decided to appoint him as Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan. Rustam gladly accepted, even if he had to promise not to speak againt Persia, that at that time was one of the few friendly neighbours of Azerbaijan. He kept his promise and directed his attacks against Armenia and Georgia but he also proved to have good diplomatic skills and was able to increase the relations with both Persia and the Ottoman Empire.
In 1934, prompted by his good results and his growing popularity, he was appointed as Prime Minister. From his position, he pushed for the industrialization of the country and a better exploitation of Baku oil fields by attracting foreign investments. However, lately he resumed his nationalistic claims on Tabris and once again this worsened the relations with Persia.
Works
- Dün bugün (Yesterday is Today), a book of poems composed together with the Almas Ildyrym, published in 1926
- My Tabriz, published in 1930
