Mehriban Aliyeva

Mehriban Arif qizi Aliyeva (Azerbaijani: Mehriban Arif qızı Əliyeva; born 26 August 1964) is the First Lady of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Vice-President of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP), and a UNESCO and ISESCO Goodwill Ambassador. She is married to the Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliyev. She is the daughter of former President Heydar Aliyev, and the sister of Sevil and Arzu Aliyeva.

Aliyeva was born in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union. She graduated from the Azerbaijan State Medical University in 1988 with honors, specializing in ophthalmology. After graduating, she worked at the Moscow Helmholtz Eye Institute as a researcher. In 1990, she returned to Baku and continued her work at the Azerbaijan Medical University.

In 1995, Aliyeva was elected to the Milli Majlis, the parliament of Azerbaijan. She served as the vice-speaker of the parliament from 2000 to 2005. In 2005, she was appointed First Lady of Azerbaijan.

As First Lady, Aliyeva has been active in a number of charitable and social projects. She has been a strong advocate for women's rights and gender equality. She has also worked to improve the health and education of children in Azerbaijan.

In 2004, Aliyeva was awarded the Order of Heydar Aliyev for her contributions to the development of Azerbaijan. In 2010, she was awarded the Order of the White Rose of Finland for her role in promoting relations between Finland and Azerbaijan.

Aliyeva is fluent in Azerbaijani, Russian, English, and French. She is married to Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan. They have three children: Leyla, Arzu, and Heydar.

Aliyeva is a controversial figure in Azerbaijan. Some praise her for her work in charity and social projects, while others criticize her for her lavish lifestyle and her close ties to the ruling regime.

In recent years, Aliyeva has been increasingly involved in politics. In 2017, she was elected Vice-President of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party. She is also a member of the party's Political Council.

Aliyeva's political ambitions have been the subject of much speculation. Some believe that she is being groomed as a potential successor to her husband as President of Azerbaijan. However, Aliyeva has denied that she has any such aspirations.