Tahir Yunis oghlu Aliyev (Azerbaijani: Tahir Yunis oğlu Əliyev) was the Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan,[1] Minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan Republic and Chairman of State Customs Committee.

[2] On December 25, 1991 he was appointed Chief of Department of Ministry of Internal Affairs for Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

He was subsequently promoted to the rank of General Major and appointed Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan Republic on February 24, 1992 at the time of escalation of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War and two days before the Khojaly Massacre.

[3][4] Tahir Aliyev replaced the interim minister, Shahin Musayev who was Chief of General Staff of Azerbaijani Armed Forces at the time.

[5] Musayev had temporarily taken over the ministry once the previous Minister of Defense, Tajeddin Mehdiyev was sacked on February 17, 1992 for his inability to hold the front and avoid capture of strategic villages Karkijahan, Malibeyli and Gushchular and Garadaghly in Karabakh.