They are not in the political arena, but in many cases, they are in the spotlight. When their fathers or mothers come to the forefront in crucial issues of the country, they themselves fall within the public's interest. The discussion is about the children of politicians: who are they, what do they do, how has their parents' influence affected their life paths?
Sardar Jalaloglu holds a unique place on the Azerbaijani political scene. Sardar Jalal oglu Mammadov was born on June 3, 1954, in the village of Jahri, Babek district, Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, into an intellectual family. By profession, he is a forensic medical expert.
He entered politics in 1980 with clandestine activities. From 1985, he began open political activity.
Sardar Jalaloglu was one of the founders and a member of the Board of the Nakhchivan Popular Front in 1988-1990. In 1991, together with Sulhaddin Akbar, he established the Initiative Group of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party (ADP) in Nakhchivan and was elected its leader.
He has been arrested several times for his political activities. He is married. He has four children, three sons, and one daughter. His wife, Fatma Mammadova, is a primary school teacher.
Modern.az website discusses Sardar Jalaloglu's children in its “Children of Politicians” section.
With the exception of his youngest son, his other children live abroad.
“My eldest son, Tural, studied at the Faculty of Law of the Academy of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in Saint Petersburg. Later, the United Nations migrated him to Norway. Since 2003, he has been living there with his family and children. They are Norwegian citizens.
That same year, my middle son, Jalal, was studying in the 4th year of the Higher Diplomacy College when I was in prison. Due to the threat to their lives, he emigrated to England with the help of the British Embassy. Later, he received higher education there at Sheffield University, specializing in international relations and international economic relations. Due to serious health problems, he does not work in his field. He is also married and has children. They currently live in England.
My daughter, Tulay, is also married and has two children - a daughter and a son. She was admitted to Medical University but did not attend from the second year due to getting married. Later, her husband faced pressure because he was my son-in-law. He was dismissed from his job and harassed. They were also forced to move to England. Both are British citizens. My grandchildren were born there and are British citizens.
Only my youngest son, Javid, has remained with me. He graduated from the Faculty of Finance and Credit at Tafakkur University. Although he does not have a permanent job, he works on a temporary basis. He is married and has 2 sons. His eldest son was admitted to the Aerospace Engineering Institute in Florida, USA, this year and is currently pursuing higher education in the USA. His youngest son attends secondary school,” - Sardar Jalaloglu said.
The politician stated that he could not provide paternal care for his children:
“My eldest son used to say, ‘Dad, do you remember ever taking us by the hand to the cinema or for a walk in the park?’ After joining the popular movement, I became so preoccupied that I couldn't engage with my children as a parent. I couldn't support them in reaching higher levels. They advanced through their own efforts. Unlike other parents, I didn't send them to tutors. They faced pressure at school because of me. When my middle son was in school, he studied 4 languages - Russian, English, Arabic, and Azerbaijani. At the end of the term, he received a ‘5’ in three languages, but a ‘2’ in his native language. It seemed surprising to me that this child received a ‘5’ in Arabic, English, and Russian, but a ‘2’ in his native language. At that time, the director of that school was a deputy, so I went and asked him the reason. He told me to go and inquire with the teacher. The teacher was an elderly woman. She told me that my child didn't know and received a ‘2’, what could she do, he studied English well but not his native language. I said, if he hasn't studied, please call him to the board and ask him questions. In my presence, she asked my son various questions for 20 minutes. The child answered all questions correctly. The teacher said it was useless anyway. I asked why. She replied that we would be switching to the Latin script next term anyway, and this child wouldn't be able to write in the Latin script. I said, what are you talking about, I have taught him the Latin script too, bring him to the board and let's see which sentence he can't write. The teacher gave him one or two sentences, and saw that the child wrote all of them. I said, teacher, is this how a child deserving of a ‘2’ would be? The teacher gave me a short, direct answer: you are in opposition to the government, and you don't care about your child, and so on. I said, what does my opposition have to do with giving my child an illegal ‘2’? Why are you taking revenge on my child?
Regarding my eldest son, they had also called, saying he was hooliganizing and talking back to the teacher. I absolutely do not tolerate such behavior; both my father and my wife were teachers. I have great respect for teachers. Having grown up in a teacher's family, I know what a teacher means. I asked my son why he talked back to the teacher. He replied that in the middle of the lesson, in front of the children, she said to him, “Your father wanders the streets, and you come to our school to study.” He then added, “I told her, "You are the one who wanders," and I will not apologize.” Then I went to the director and said, firstly, what does my being in opposition have to do with the teacher, and secondly, why is she insulting me in front of my child, what should I tell my child?
In other words, because of us, our children faced immense pressure both at school and in society. Later, they left and went abroad. I put no effort into my children. We didn't even have the opportunity for it. All day long, creating organizations in the streets, squares, here and there, ending up in prisons... We have lived such a life. I, unlike other parents, have not fulfilled my parental duties towards my children. They have been deprived of spending time with me and the opportunity to relax.”
