Saparmurat Niyazov
First president of Turkmenistan (1940–2006) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov (Russian: Сапармурат Атаевич Ниязов; Turkmen: Saparmyrat Ataýewiç Nyýazow;[lower-alpha 1] 19 February 1940 – 21 December 2006), also known as Türkmenbaşy,[lower-alpha 2] was a Turkmen dictator who ruled Turkmenistan from 1985 until his death in 2006. He was first secretary of the Turkmen Communist Party from 1985 until 1991 and supported the 1991 Soviet coup attempt. He continued to rule Turkmenistan for 15 years after independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Saparmurat Niyazov | |
---|---|
Saparmyrat Nyýazow | |
1st President of Turkmenistan | |
In office 2 November 1990 – 21 December 2006 | |
Prime Minister | Han Ahmedow (1990–92) |
Vice President | |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow |
Leader of the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan | |
In office 27 October 1991 – 21 December 2006 | |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow |
First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkmenistan | |
In office 21 December 1985 – 16 December 1991 | |
Preceded by | Muhammetnazar Gapurow |
Succeeded by | Office abolished |
Full member of the 28th Politburo | |
In office 14 July 1990 – 29 August 1991 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Saparmyrat Ataýewiç Nyýazow (1940-02-19)19 February 1940 Gypjak, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union |
Died | 21 December 2006(2006-12-21) (aged 66) Ashgabat, Turkmenistan |
Political party | Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (1991–2006) |
Other political affiliations | Communist Party of Turkmenistan (1962–1991) Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1962–1991) |
Spouse | [1] |
Children | 2 |
Parents |
|
Education | Leningrad Polytechnic Institute |
Profession | Electrical engineer |
Nickname | Türkmenbaşy |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Turkmenistan |
Branch/service | Armed Forces of Turkmenistan |
Rank | General of the Army[2] |
Turkmen media referred to him using the title, His Excellency Saparmurat Türkmenbaşy, President of Turkmenistan and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers.[3] His self-given title Türkmenbaşy, meaning Head of the Turkmen, referred to his position as the founder and president of the Association of Turkmens of the World.[4] 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.[5][6] 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.[7] 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,[8] once stating that, "If people are ill, they can come to Ashgabat."[9]
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.[10]