Selîm Helebceyî
President of Siphria Selîm Helebceyî سەلیم حەلەبجەیی | |
|---|---|
 | |
 23rd President of Siphria | |
| Assumed office September 17, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Rizayê Qeredaxî |
| Nth Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| Assumed office May 14, 2017 | |
| President | Rizayê Qeredaxî himself |
| Preceded by | name |
| Nth Minister of Defense | |
| Assumed office May 14, 2017 | |
| President | Rizayê Qeredaxî himself |
| Preceded by | name |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 May 1954 Akrê, Siphria |
| Nationality | Siphrian |
| Spouse | Xadijê Celalî |
| Children | Şahînê Helebceyî Zeynep Helebceyî Eyşe Helebceyî |
| Alma mater | Serêkaniyê Military Academy |
| Profession | Soldier, general, politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Baha'i Republic of Siphria (1972-) |
| Branch/service | Siphrian Baha'i Army (1972-) |
| Rank | Field marshal |
| Battles/wars | Muharram coup d'etat Heskif War 2017 Siphrian coup d'etat Heskif hostage crisis |
Selîm Behaedînê kurê Mistefa Helebceyî (Siphrian: سەلیم بەحاەدینێ کورێ مںستەفا حەلەبجەیی; b. May 12, 1954) is a Siphrian general and politician, and the twenty-third and incumbent President of Siphria, and office which he has held since September of 2017. He is also the country's Minister of Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Born to a poor family in Akrê in 1954, Helebceyî joined the Siphrian Baha'i Army as an enlisted soldier in 1972. Initially assigned to the Fereydûn Sêlih Akrê Army Base, he was among the soldiers who participated in counter-coup operations led by then-Colonel Îsmaîl Ferîqî during the Muharram coup d'etat, and saw further combat during the Heskif War later that year. He earned commendations for valor, bravery, and initiative during both conflicts. He enrolled in the Serêkaniyê Military Academy shortly thereafter, graduating near the top of his class in 1979. As a commissioned officer, Helebceyî continued to ascend through the army's ranks and reached the position of general in 2008. He was among the nine leading military officers, led by Rizayê Qeredaxî, who spearheaded Qeredaxî's 2017 coup against President Seyfedînê Mistewfî.
Widely considered to be a close confidant and ally of Qeredaxî, he was given the powerful ministries of defense and foreign affairs in the wake of the coup. When Qeredaxî resigned on September 17, 2017 due to growing concerns over his health, Helebceyî was designated as his successor. He promoted himself to the rank of field marshal in November 2017. Helebceyî sacked several members of the military junta originally installed by Qeredaxî following the discovery of an alleged coup attempt in May 2018, replacing them with a mixture of bureaucrats and technocrats in what was described as a "civilianizing" of his government.
As president, Helebceyî has focused primarily on suppressing Islamic Collectivist and Awiyyi separatist groups within Siphria, passing a slate of anti-terrorism laws and taking military action against militant cells in the region of Awiyyistan. However, he has also taken other domestic actions, passing anti-corruption laws, expanding Siphria's social safety net, and raising the country's minimum wage.
International coverage of Helebceyî's presidency, meanwhile, has largely focused on his handling of Siphria's relations with the neighboring Union of Nautasian Islamic Republics; while these relations were tense or even hostile for the first several months of his presidency, the two countries announced a sweeping bilateral agreement in a surprise summit between Helebceyî and Evren Volkan in June 2018. Humanitarian groups, meanwhile, have criticized his rule as authoritarian, accusing him of using the threat of terrorism to suspend constitutional government in Siphria and repress political opposition.
Early life
(baker's son in poor, old town neighborhood; second of five siblings)
(does tolerably in school, but not exceptionally; opts to join the army as an enlisted soldier)
Military career
As enlisted soldier
(joins in '72; promoted to PFC in january '74)
(suddenly, muharram coup; helebceyi takes over for his dead corporal, exploits a putschist screwup, and retakes a few blocks for feriqi; this gets him some awards and a promotion to corporal)
(suddenly, heskif war; helebceyi's unit assigned to front; he distinguishes himself again by going to great risk to save some injured siphrian soldiers and killing invading ankorenis, and gets promoted to sergeant)
(now a decorated soldier, he tries to get into the military academy- and succeeds)
As officer
(graduates 1979; assigned to do stuff in heskif; promoted to captain)
(reassigned to awiyyistan in the mid-1980s; turns out being assigned to the restive, rebellion-y region is a good way to get promoted and by 2005 he's a brigadier; he also meets qeredaxi here which turns out to be really good)
(major general in 2008; reassigned to the kesvare area and promoted to lieutenant general after another general dies from being way too damn old in 2009; promoted to full general in 2014)
2017 coup d'etat
(helebceyi, qeredaxi, seven others depose mistewfi; helebceyi leads troops in kesvare; qeredaxi names him right-hand-man, gives him defense and foreign affairs)
During Qeredaxî presidency
(qurwe, kirrani; counter-terrorism)
Presidency
Foreign policy
(nordania, borea, conitia, etc. here) <imgur thumb="yes" w="150" comment="Helebceyî's official presidential portrait.">uvkM5XK.jpg</imgur>
Nautasia
(unir squabbling)
(heskif crisis)
Domestic policy
Security policy
(cracking down on iscols, qataniyah shooting)
Economic policy
(raising minimum wage)
Personal life
(wife, son, two daughters)
(siblings)