Saparmurad Niyazov

Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov; tk, Saparmyrat Ataýewiç Nyýazow, in Cyrillic: Сапармырат Атаевич Ныязов (19 February 1940 – 21 December 2006), also known as Turkmenbashi, was a Turkmen politician who ruled Turkmenistan from 1990 until his death in 2006 as a dictator. He was First Secretary of the Turkmen Communist Party from 1985 until 1991 and supported the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt. He continued to rule Turkmenistan for 15 years after independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Turkmen media referred to him using the title, ''His "Excellency Saparmurat Turkmenbashy, President of Turkmenistan and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers"''. His self-given title ''Turkmenbashy'', meaning ''Head of the Turkmen'', referred to his position as the founder and president of the Association of Turkmens of the World. In 1999, the Assembly of Turkmenistan declared Niyazov President for Life of Turkmenistan.

In his time, he was one of the world's most totalitarian, despotic and repressive dictators. He promoted a cult of personality around himself and imposed his personal eccentricities upon the country, such as renaming Turkmen months and days of the week to references of his autobiography the ''Ruhnama''. He made it mandatory to read the ''Ruhnama'' in schools, universities and governmental organizations, new governmental employees were tested on the book at job interviews and an exam on its teachings was a part of the driving test in Turkmenistan. In 2005, he closed down all rural libraries and hospitals outside of the capital city Ashgabat, in a country where at that time more than half the population lived in rural areas, once stating that, "If people are ill, they can come to Ashgabat."

Under his rule, Turkmenistan had the lowest life expectancy in Central Asia. Global Witness, a London-based human rights organisation, reported that money under Niyazov's control and held overseas may be in excess of US$3 billion, of which between $1.8–$2.6 billion was allegedly situated in the Foreign Exchange Reserve Fund at Deutsche Bank in Germany.

Background

Niyazov was born on 19 February 1940 in Gypjak (or Kipchak), just outside Ashgabat in the Turkmen SSR. He was a member of the influential Teke tribe of the Turkmens. According to the official version of his biography, his father, Atamyrat Niyazov, died in World War II fighting against Nazi Germany, while other sources contend that he dodged fighting and was therefore sentenced by a military court. His mother and two brothers were killed in the devastating 1948 Ashgabat earthquake. His mother, Gurbansoltan Eje, was part of the cult of personality later. He grew up in a Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet orphanage before the state put him in the custody of a distant relative.

After finishing school in 1959, he worked as an instructor in the Turkmen trade-union exploratory committee. He then studied at the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Leningrad Polytechnic Institute, where in 1967 he received a diploma as an electrical engineer. After graduating, he went to study in Russia, but was expelled a few years later for academic failure.

In 1962 Niyazov started his political career, becoming a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Communist Party. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming First Secretary of the Ashgabat City Committee, and First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Turkmen SSR in 1985. He gained this post after Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev had removed his predecessor, Muhammetnazar Gapurov, following a cotton-related scandal. Under Niyazov, the Turkmen Communist Party had a reputation as one of the most hardline and unreformed party organizations in the Soviet Union. On 13 January 1990, Niyazov became List of chairmen of the Supreme Soviet of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic, Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Turkmen SSR, the supreme legislative body in the republic. The post was equivalent to that of president.

Niyazov supported the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, Soviet coup attempt of 1991. However, after the coup collapsed, he set about separating Turkmenistan from the dying Soviet Union. The Turkmen Supreme Soviet declared Turkmenistan independent and appointed Niyazov as the country's first president on 27 October 1991. On 21 June 1992 the 1992 Turkmenistan presidential election, Turkmenistani presidential election of 1992 featured Niyazov as the sole candidate, and chosen as the country's first popularly elected president. A year later he declared himself ''Türkmenbaşy'', meaning "Leader of all Turkmen".

In 1994 a plebiscite extended Niyazov's term to 2002 so he could oversee a 10-year development plan. The official results showed that 99.9% of voters approved this proposal. On 28 December 1999, Parliament declared Niyazov President for Life; parliamentary elections had been held a few weeks earlier for which the president had hand-picked all candidates.

Niyazov and his wife, Muza Niyazova, Muza Niyazova (née Melnikova), who was of Russian and Jewish descent, had a son (Murat) and a daughter (Irina).

Presidency (1990–2006)

Niyazov became president at the transition of Turkmenistan from a Soviet republic to an independent state. His presidency was characterised by an initial crumbling of the centralised Soviet model that in many respects was unsuited for a transition to smaller, separate, states. There was outside concern about press freedom and to a lesser extent religious rights of minority religious groups. Niyazov made a personal attempt to create a cultural background for the new state of Turkmenistan by writing and promoting the Ruhnama, an autobiography meant to guide the people of Turkmenistan with his ideas and promote native culture (and by extension prohibiting foreign culture). He also took part in creating new holidays with a specific Turkmen nature and introduced a new Latin-based Turkmen alphabet to replace Russian Cyrillic. The Latin Turkmen alphabet consists of: Aa, Bb, Çç, Dd, Ee, Ää, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Žž, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Ňň, Oo, Öö, Pp, Rr, Ss, Şş, Tt, Uu, Üü, Ww, Yy, Ýý, Zz.

Despite emphasizing a need to move from central planning to a market economy and to a full democracy during his reign, neither plan progressed. Yearly plans set forth by the government and a centralised economy gave little indication of moving away from state-dominated economics, and the dictatorial nature of many of his decrees and his declaring himself "President for Life" gave little hope as to much progress in these two areas.

Economy

Oil and gas

Turkmenistan has the second-largest oil reserves in the former Soviet Union, generating high revenue for the state. The government has used Planned economy, central planning, such as state control of production and procurement, direct bank credits with low interest rates, exchange rate restrictions, and price controls, since it existed as a Republic within the USSR.

In the years following independence, Turkmenistan invested heavily in plants and machinery in an attempt to convert it from being primarily a supplier of petroleum to a more advanced economy; such investments included oil refineries and a polyethylene plant. In an interview with ''Rossiyskaya Gazeta'' newspaper, Niyazov claimed that Turkmenistan was able to process 85% of its domestic output. Additionally, numerous petroleum transportation projects were completed such as a pipeline from the Korpedje field to Kort-Koi in Iran.

In 1991 and 2001, Niyazov issued decrees making water, gas, electricity, and refined salt free to use for ten year periods.

In 2005, Niyazov appointed Gurbanmyrat Ataýew as Minister of Oil and Gas, succeeding Atamurad Berdyev.Turkmen Leader Names New Oil And Gas Minister
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Agriculture

Turkmenistan's other primary resources are cotton and grain. Niyazov continued the old practice of demanding yearly quotas in agricultural output, and then blaming and/or sacking deputy ministers when quotas were not met. Nevertheless, Turkmenistan had an emergent period during which there was heavy investment in plant and machinery so the country could change from a producer of raw cotton to a cotton processor. During Niyazov's presidency, a textile industry was founded in Turkmenistan.

Niyazov introduced the practice of "Melon Day", a harvest festival celebrated on the 2nd Sunday of August; unlike some of his other creations, the celebration of "Melon Day" has continued after his death.

Culture

Niyazov put the revival of Turkmen culture as one of the top priorities in Turkmenistan's development. He introduced a new Turkmen alphabet based on the Latin alphabet to replace Cyrillic script, Cyrillic. The ''National Revival Movement'', an organisation to promote Turkmen culture (Turkmen: "Galkynish"), was also founded.

In many respects, Niyazov's cultural ideas and changes were most visible to external viewers. His 2002 renaming of Turkmen months and days of week, renaming of months, as well as days of the week, to Turkmen heroes, poets, historical events, family members and himself raised many eyebrows all over the world. For example, September was renamed ''Ruhnama'' in honour of the book written by Niyazov (which he finished writing on 19 September 2001). Not all the changes promoted Niyazov; October was renamed ''Garaşsyzlyk'' (Independence) to mark the state's founding on 27 October 1991, and November ''Sanjar'' in honour of Ahmad Sanjar, Sultan Sanjar who led the Seljuk dynasty, Seljuqs to their last full flowering. The new names came into effect with the introduction of a new labor law which stated that "the dates of professional holidays are specified by decrees of the President of Turkmenistan". These names were later abolished by his successor Berdymukhamedov in April 2008.

His father Atamyrat Niyazov's Red Army service was used to shape how the country celebrates Victory Day (9 May). Unlike other Central Asian countries, Turkmenistan under Niyazov put emphasis on the country's sacrifice during the Second World War. In 2005, Nizayov flew to Moscow to 2005 Moscow Victory Day Parade, celebrate the diamond jubilee of the war's end, and just days prior, he awarded Turkmen veterans of the war as well as Russian veterans on behalf of Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian veterans on behalf of Viktor Yushchenko. Individually, Niyazov's father was awarded the honorary title of Hero of Turkmenistan in 1994 and in 2004, a division of the Turkmen Ground Forces was renamed after Atamyrat Niyazov. Today the 22nd Motor Rifle Division "Atamyrat Niyazov" deployed in Serdar (city), Serdar carries his name.

Internal affairs

One of the earliest acts of the president was to abolish the death penalty. He also granted official human rights to the people, though they were not respected in practice with his government being criticised as one of the worst human rights violators in the world. Press freedom under Niyazov's leadership was much criticised as it was with other former Soviet central Asian states. Turkmenistan's media constantly doted on the president and helped build his cult of personality.

In 1998 Niyazov closed the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan. It was reopened in 2009 after his death, by his successor Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow.

In May 2000, the government revoked all Internet licenses except for the state-owned Turkmen Telecom and in June 2001 shut down all Internet cafés. By 2005, there were 36,000 Internet users in Turkmenistan, representing 0.7% of the population.

In March 2004, 15,000 public health workers were dismissed including Nursing, nurses, midwife, midwives, school health visitors and orderly, orderlies. In February 2005 all hospitals outside Ashgabat were ordered closed, with the reasoning that the sick should come to the capital for treatment. All libraries outside of the capital were also closed, as Niyazov believed that the only books that most Turkmen needed to read were the Qur'an and his Ruhnama.

In January 2006, one-third of the country's elderly had their pensions discontinued, while another 200,000 had theirs reduced. Pensions received during the prior two years were ordered paid back to the state. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan strongly denied allegations that the cut in pensions resulted in the deaths of many elderly Turkmens, accusing foreign media outlets of spreading "deliberately perverted" information on the issue. On 19 March 2007 Turkmenistan's new president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow reversed Niyazov's decision by restoring pensions to more than 100,000 elderly citizens.

Presidential pardons

In keeping with the predominantly Islamic nature of Turkmen society, President Niyazov granted pardons each year on the ''Qadr Night, Laylat al-Qadr'' (''Night of Destiny'') in the month of Ramadan.

For example, in 2005, 8,145 convicts were pardoned including 229 foreign nationals. In 2006 Turkmenistan set free 10,056 prisoners, including 253 foreign nationals from 11 countries. Niyazov said:

"Let this humane act on the part of the state serve strengthening truly moral values of the Turkmen society. Let the entire world know that there has never been a place for evil and violence on the blessed Turkmen soil."

Decrees and laws

*Niyazov banned the use of lip syncing at public concerts in 2005 as well as sound recordings at "musical performances on state holidays, in broadcasts by Turkmen television channels, at all cultural events organized by the state... in places of mass assembly and at weddings and celebrations organised by the public," citing a negative effect on the development of musical arts incurred by the use of recorded music.Hiro, Dilip. Inside Central Asia. New York: Overlook Press, 2009. p227
*Niyazov declared Turkmenistan a "neutral state" and said that the country would not participate in any United Nations peacekeeping, UN peacekeeping operations.
*Niyazov banished dogs from the capital Ashgabat because of their "unappealing odour".
*According to the Ashgabat correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru, right-hand-drive imported cars converted to left-hand-drive were banned due to a perceived increased risk in accidents.
*Niyazov wrote the ''Ruhnama'' (meaning "the book of the spirit/soul"), and made it mandatory in all schools, in public offices and for obtaining a drivers license, and excerpts from the book were periodically read on Turkmen Television. Niyazov even tried to force Mufti Nasrullah ibn Ibadullah to preach the book in the Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque.
*Niyazov ordered that all mountains and places in Turkmenistan be named after Turkmen heroes, poets and leaders.
*Niyazov established the second Sunday of August as "Melon day" in honor of melons, one of his favorite foods. He said:

This gift of God has a glorious history. We will make it a national holiday in honor of the name of the delicious melon.

*In August 2002, he ordered the 2002 renaming of Turkmen months and days of week, renaming of the days and months.
*He also abolished the Turkmen word for bread and replaced it with ''Gurbansoltan'', his mother's name.
*Niyazov requested that a "Ice rink, palace of ice", or indoor ice skating rink, be built near the capital, so that those living in the desert country could learn to skate. The rink was built in 2008 and is located near the new Turkmen State Medical University.
*After having to quit Tobacco smoking, smoking in 1997 due to his resultant heart surgery, he banned smoking in all public places and ordered all government employees to follow suit. Chewing tobacco on Turkmen soil was later banned as well.
*He outlawed opera, ballet and circuses in 2001 for being "decidedly unturkmen-like".
*In February 2004, he decreed that men should no longer wear long hair or beards.
*In March 2004, he fired doctors and gymnastics instructors and replaced them with military conscripts.
*In March 2005, he ordered the closure of all hospitals outside Ashgabat, stating that the sick should go to the capital for treatment.
*Niyazov also ordered the closure of all libraries outside the capital, stating that the reason was that ordinary Turkmen did not read anyway.
*He banned the reporting and even mentioning of epidemic, contagious diseases such as AIDS or cholera.
*He banned news reporters and presenters from wearing make-up on television. According to some reports he felt presenters should "appear natural" on-screen, although others alleged that the reason was more eccentric, claiming he said he found it difficult to distinguish male anchors from female anchors.
*He also ordered that each broadcast begin with a pledge that the broadcaster's tongue would shrivel if he/she slanders the country, flag, or president.
*He banned car radios because he considered them to be "useless".
*Gold teeth were discouraged in Turkmenistan after Niyazov suggested that the populace chew on bones to strengthen their teeth and lessen the rate at which they fall out. He said:

I watched young dogs when I was young. They were given bones to gnaw to strengthen their teeth. Those of you whose teeth have fallen out did not chew on bones. This is my advice...

*In November 2005, he ordered that doctors should swear an oath to him instead of the Hippocratic Oath.
*In December 2005, he banned video games because they were "too violent for young Turkmen".
*In the same month, he ordered the country's oil minister to learn English language, English in 6 months or be fired.

Foreign policy

Niyazov promoted a policy of strict Neutral country, neutrality in foreign affairs, refraining from seeking membership in NATO or GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development, GUAM and almost ignoring the Collective Security Treaty Organization, CSTO. Turkmenistan has not participated in any United Nations peacekeeping missions. It has however become a member of Interpol.

The full independence of Turkmenistan was recognised by a UN General Assembly resolution "The permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan" of 12 December 1995. As a result, in 2005 Turkmenistan would downgrade its links with the Commonwealth of Independent States becoming only an associate member under article 8 of the CIS charter, as such it would not participate in any of the military structures of the CIS.

In 2006 the European Commission and the international trade committee of the European Parliament voted to grant Turkmenistan "most favoured nation" trading status with the European Union, widely seen as motivated by interest in natural gas, after Niyazov announced he would enter a "human rights dialogue" with the EU.

In January 1996, Niyazov met with Sayid Abdulloh Nuri in Tehran to inform him that the attendees of a CIS summit in Moscow had agreed to renew the mandate of CIS peacekeepers in Tajikistan, which was going through a Tajikistani Civil War, civil war at the time....and talks with Tajik opposition leader.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Opposition

On 25 November 2002, Niyazov's motorcade was fired upon at about 7 a.m. in downtown Ashgabat as he was traveling to his office from his official residence in Arshabil. Niyazov claimed that it was an attempt at a coup, and as a result, the Turkmen government arrested thousands of suspected conspirators and members of their families. Among the figures who were arrested/purged were former Foreign Ministers Boris Şyhmyradow and Batyr Berdiýew, as well as Major Begench Beknazarov of the Turkmen Ground Forces and Chief of the General Staff (Turkmenistan), Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Serdar Charyyarov. Critics claim the government staged the attempt in order to crack down on mounting domestic and foreign political opposition. Ethnic Russians in Turkmenistan were disproportionately targeted in the aftermath.

The summer of 2004 saw a leaflet campaign in the capital, Ashgabat, Aşgabat, calling for the Coup d'état, overthrow and trial of Niyazov. The authorities were unable to stop the campaign and the President responded by firing his Interior minister, Interior Minister and director of the police academy on national television. He accused the minister of incompetence and declared: "I cannot say that you had any great merits or did much to combat crime."

Niyazov later announced that surveillance cameras were to be placed at all major streets and sites in Turkmenistan, an apparent precaution against future attempts.

Cult of personality

Niyazov became a substitute for the vacuum left by the downfall of the communist system, with his image replacing those of Marx and Lenin. During his rule Niyazov created a strong cult of personality around himself, which resembled North Korean cult of personality, the one around the Kim dynasty in North Korea. He renamed Türkmenbaşy şäherçesi, a town near Krasnovodsk after his title, and renamed schools, airports and even a meteorite after himself and members of his family. The doting actions of the official Turkmen media supported his cult of personality. The national anthem of Turkmenistan had a reference to him. According to the paper ''Neitralniy Turkmenistan'' physicians were ordered to swear an oath to the President, replacing the Hippocratic Oath.

Statues and portraits of him were put everywhere throughout the country. In Ashgabat, he erected a rotating, $12 million, golden statue of himself that always faces the sun. Niyazov gave every citizen a watch with his portrait in its dial.

Niyazov simultaneously cut funding to and partially disassembled the education system in the name of "reform", while injecting ideological indoctrination into it by requiring all schools to use his own book, the Ruhnama, as their primary text. He also made it mandatory to read the Ruhnama in schools, universities and governmental organizations, new governmental employees were tested on the book at job interviews and an exam on its teachings was a part of the driving test in Turkmenistan. Turkmen State University even had a "Department of the Holy Ruhnama of Turkmenbashy, the Great", and Ruhnama Studies were pursued as a major research agenda in the country, often at the cost of academic disciplines. Niyazov claimed those who read it thrice were destined for heaven. Like Kim Il-sung, there is even a creation myth surrounding him.International Crisis Group. July 2003. ''Central Asia: Islam and the State.'' ICG Asia Report No. 59. Available on-line at http://www.crisisgroup.org/

During Niyazov's presidency there was no freedom of the press nor was there freedom of speech. This further meant that opposition to Niyazov was strictly forbidden and major opposition figures have been imprisoned, institutionalized, deported, or they have fled the country, and their family members are routinely harassed by the authorities."Turkmenistan"
''Country Reports on Human Rights Practices''. U.S. State Department. March 4, 2002. A silhouette of Niyazov was used as a logo on television broadcasts. The eccentric nature of some of his decrees, and the vast number of images of the president led to the perception, especially in western countries, of a despotic leader, rich on oil wealth glorifying himself whilst the population gained no benefit. For these, and other reasons, the US government said that by the time he died, "Niyazov's personality cult … had reached the dimensions of a state-imposed religion."

Death

On the afternoon of 21 December 2006, Turkmen state television announced that President Saparmurat Niyazov had died of a sudden Myocardial infarction, heart attack in the early morning hours at around 01:10 local time at his residence, the Turkmenbashi's Palace, age 66. One month prior to his death, Niyazov had publicly announced that he had been taking heart medication for the past few years for an unidentified cardiac condition. The Embassy of Turkmenistan, Moscow, Turkmen Embassy in Moscow later confirmed this report.

He is the only President of Turkmenistan to die in office.

Because Niyazov named no successor prior to his death, according to the law of the Constitution of Turkmenistan, Öwezgeldi Ataýew, the Chairman of Assembly of Turkmenistan, the Assembly, would assume the presidency. Deputy Prime Minister Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow was named as head of the commission organizing the state funeral. However, Ataýew was arrested on 21 December 2006 and Berdimuhamedow was subsequently named acting president. Berdimuhamedow and the People's Council of Turkmenistan, Halk Maslahaty announced on 26 December 2006 that the 2007 Turkmenistan presidential election, next presidential elections would be held on 11 February 2007 to elect Niyazov's successor.

The circumstances of Niyazov's death have been surrounded by some media speculation. Some Turkmen opposition sources also claim that Niyazov died several days before the officially announced date of 21 December.

Foreign news reports also claimed that Niyazov also suffered from ischaemic heart disease, ischemic heart disease and kidney failure due to being overweight and Binge drinking, overindulgence of alcohol.

Funeral and burial

Niyazov was buried in his ready prepared tomb in Kipchak Mosque on 24 December at his home village of Gypjak, approximately west of Ashgabat. Prior to being moved to the village, Niyazov's body lay in state in an open coffin in the presidential palace from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Many mourners, including foreign delegations, passed by the coffin in a three-hour period. Many of the ordinary citizens wept dramatically as they walked, some even clinging to the coffin and fainting. The Turkmen Air Force patrolled the funeral cortege as part of the farewell of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan. A prayer took place before the burial, with the Chief Mufti, chief mufti reading Jyn Aza. As he was buried, the National Anthem of Turkmenistan, national anthem was played accompanied by a 21-gun salute, symbolizing the number of years during which he was in power.

Funeral attendees

* Pakistan
** Shaukat Aziz, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Prime Minister
* China
** Tang Jiaxuan, State councillor (China), State Councilor and special envoy of President of the People's Republic of China, President Hu Jintao to Turkmenistan
* United States
** Richard Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs
*
**Artur Rasizade, Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Prime Minister
* Iran
** Parviz Davoudi, Vice President of Iran, Vice President
** Manouchehr Mottaki, Foreign Minister of Iran, Foreign Minister
* Kazakhstan
** Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan, President
* Tajikistan
**Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan, President
* Afghanistan
** Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan, President
* Russia
**Mikhail Fradkov, Prime Minister of Russia, Prime Minister
**Grigory Karasin, Deputy Foreign Minister
**Alexey Miller, Alexei Miller, Gazprom, Gazprom CEO
* Belarus
**Gennady Novitsky, Chairman of the Council of the Republic of Belarus, Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus
* Turkey
** Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister of Turkey, Prime Minister
**Abdullah Gül, President of Turkey, President
* Georgia (country), Georgia
** Zurab Noghaideli, Prime Minister of Georgia, Prime Minister
* Ukraine
** Viktor Yanukovych, Prime Minister of Ukraine, Prime Minister
* India
** Saifuddin Soz, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Minister of Water Resources and envoy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
* Armenia
** Andranik Margaryan, Prime Minister of Armenia, Prime Minister

Legacy

After the death, newly elected president Berdimuhamedow started to remove some eccentric natures of Niyazov's personality cult. In 2008, less than two years after his death, old names of the Turkmen calendar that was changed by Niyazov were restored againТуркменам вернули прежний календарь, Lenta.ru, July 1, 2008
/ref> and part of the National Anthem of Turkmenistan that reference to Niyazov in the chorus was replaced with "the people". By that year, the old Constitution of Turkmenistan, adopted during Niyazov's presidency and characterized Niyazov paramountcy, was replaced and government launched a democratization program, distinct from his thought.

Berdimuhamedow also trimmed the official references to the Niyazov's biographical book, ''Ruhnama'', in Spring of 2007, and around 2009-10, television broadcasts stopped. By 2011, Berdimuhamedow government rescinded the requirement to pass a secondary-school examination on the book and in 2014, it was finally declared that Turkmenistani universities would no longer test applicants on their knowledge of the book. Displaying and keeping the book alongside the Quran in mosques was also stopped, except in Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque.

His statues and portraits placed around the country was also removed. Arch of Neutrality, the rotating golden statue of Niyazov, was moved to suburb in 26 August, 2010. Issued new Turkmenistani manats also didn't featured him.

However, Saparmurat Niyazov remained a celebrated figure in Turkmenistan. His birthday is designated as a national day (not an official holiday), named "Turkmenbashy Remembrance Day". Unlike other perspectives, some of his creations remained unchanged, such as the celebration of Melon Day. Several places still bears his name, including Türkmenbaşy, Turkmenistan, a city. Türkmenbaşı Nature Park, A park in Turkey is named after him. His golden statue was placed again and opened to the public later.

Niyazov had two children, both maintained distance from politics after their father's death.">Президент Туркмении Сапармурат Ниязов: "Я покину пост главы государства еще при жизни" - Известия
// Izvestia

References

Notes

Further reading

* Theroux, Paul. "The Golden Man: Saparmurat Niyazov's Reign of Insanity". ''The New Yorker'', 28 May 2007, pp. 54–65.
Rasizade, Alec. "Turkmenbashi and his Turkmenistan". ''Contemporary Review'' (Oxford), October 2003, volume 283, number 1653, pp. 197–206.

External links

Saparmyrat Niyazow reading a poem

Turkmenistan News/ Archiv Saparmurat Niyazov's (in English)Numerous articlesRuhnama – Book by Turkmenbashy (online in English)Transcript of 2004 profile on news program 60 Minutes
.]

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