father, Heydar Aliyev, and continued to serve in an acting capacity.

Aliyev worked to consolidate his power both politically and economically. One of his first major actions was the creation of the "Foundation for Combating Corruption in Azerbaijan" in 2004. This initiative was aimed at addressing widespread corruption within government institutions and improving public sector accountability. Despite the establishment of this foundation, critics argued that the reforms were insufficient, and corruption remained prevalent within the ruling