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Saparmyrat Ataýewiç Nyýazow
1st President of Turkmenistan
In office January 13, 1990 (titled as chairman of the Supreme Soviet until October 27, 1990) – December 21, 2006
Preceded by	Muhammetnazar Gapurow (as General Secretary)
Succeeded by	Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedow
Born	February 19, 1940(1940-02-19) Gypjak, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union
Died	21 December 2006 (aged 66) Turkmenistan
Political party	Democratic Party of Turkmenistan
Spouse	Muza Sokolova Russian: Муза Соколова[1]

Saparmyrat Ataýewiç Nyýazow (pronounced [θɑːpɑːrmɯːrɑːt niːjɑːðɒv]) (February 19, 1940, Gypjak, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union – 21 December 2006), also commonly known by the romanization Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov of the Russian spelling Сапармурат Атаевич Ниязов of his Turkmen name, served as the head of state of Turkmenistan from 1985 until his death in 2006. He served as the First Secretary of the Turkmen Communist Party from 1985 until 1991 and the first President of Turkmenistan from 1990 until his death.

Turkmen media referred to him using the title "His Excellency Saparmurat Niyazov Türkmenbaşy, President of Turkmenistan and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers". His title Türkmenbaşy, or Turkmenbashi (pronounced [tyrkmɛnbaʃɯ]), meaning Leader of Turkmens, referred to his position as the founder and president of the Association of Turkmens of the World.^[2]

Foreign media criticized him as one of the world's most totalitarian and repressive dictators, highlighting his reputation of imposing his personal eccentricities upon the country. He was also known for an all-pervasive cult of personality which, in many ways, rivaled that of Joseph Stalin. Global Witness, a London-based human rights organization, reported that money under Niyazov's control and held overseas may be in excess of US$3 billion, of which $2 billion is supposedly situated in the Foreign Exchange Reserve Fund at Deutsche Bank in Germany.

Turkmenistan

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Turkmenistan

Constitution President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedow Assembly People's Council Military of Turkmenistan (incl. State Security Council) Political parties Democratic Party of Turkmenistan Elections: 2007 presidential, 2007 parliamentary Provinces Districts Human rights Foreign relations Ruhnama

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Niyazov's father died in World War II fighting against Nazi Germany. The other members of his family were killed in a massive earthquake that leveled Ashgabat (Aşgabat in Turkmen) in 1948. He grew up in a Soviet orphanage before the state put him in the custody of a distant relative.

In 1962 Niyazov joined the Communist Party. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming first secretary of the Communist Party of the Turkmen SSR in 1985. He gained this post after Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev removed his predecessor, Muhammetnazar Gapurow, following a cotton-related scandal. Under Niyazov, the Turkmen Communist Party was one of the most hardline and unreformed party organizations in the Soviet Union. On January 13, 1990; Niyazov became Chairman of the Supreme Soviet, the supreme legislative body in the republic. The post was equivalent to that of president.

Niyazov supported the Soviet coup attempt of 1991, but after it collapsed, he fell into line and set about separating Turkmenistan from the dying Soviet Union. The Supreme Soviet declared Turkmenistan independent and elected Niyazov as the country's first president on October 27. On June 21, 1992; Niyazov was elected as the country's first popularly elected president; he was the only candidate. A year later, he declared himself "Türkmenbaşy," or "Leader of all Turkmen."

In 1994 a plebiscite extended Niyazov's term to 2002 (99.9% of voters voted in favor, a figure similar to Soviet-era elections) so he could oversee a 10-year development plan. On December 28, 1999, Parliament declared Niyazov President for Life; parliamentary elections had been held a few weeks earlier in which all candidates were hand-picked by the president.

Niyazov and his Russian-Jewish wife, Muza, had a son and a daughter, Myrat and Irina, respectively.

Niyazov ruled as an authoritarian leader, notorious for the cult of personality he established around himself in Turkmenistan.^[4] Niyazov, at the beginning of his rule, referred to Turkmenistan as a nation devoid of a national identity. He renamed the town of Krasnovodsk, on the Caspian Sea, Türkmenbaşy, in addition to renaming several schools, airports and even a meteorite after himself and his immediate family. He even renamed the months and days of the week after his family; January becoming Turkmenbashi.^[5] Niyazov's portrait is on Manat banknotes and large portraits of the late President hang all over the country, especially on major public buildings and avenues. Statues of himself and his mother are located throughout Turkmenistan, including one in the Karakum Desert as well as a gold-plated statue atop Aşgabat's largest building, the Neutrality Arch. The statue rotates so that it will always face into the sun and shine light onto the capital city. Niyazov commissioned a palace in Aşgabat commemorating his rule. The government has given him the Hero of Turkmenistan award five times.^[6] Niyazov said he opposed having his "pictures and statues in the streets, but it's what the people want."^[7]

Erika Dailey, a specialist for the Open Society Institute, said the education system under Niyazov indoctrinated and brainwashed young Turkmen through the Ruhnama, a national epic written by Niyazov. In 2004, he ordered the closure of all rural libraries on the grounds that he thought that village Turkmen do not read.^[8] The Ruhnama, a mixture of revisionist history and moral guidelines, was intended as the "spiritual guidance of the nation" and the basis of the nation's arts and literature.

In Niyazov's home village of Gypjak, a complex has been built to the memory of his mother, including a mosque (est. at US$100 million, built by the French company Bouygues) conceived as a symbol of the rebirth of the Turkmen people. The walls of this edifice display precepts from the Ruhnama along with Qur'an suras. The Ruhnama was introduced to Turkmen culture in a gradual but eventually pervasive way.

Niyazov first placed copies in the nation's schools and libraries but eventually went as far as to make an exam on its teachings an element of the driving test. Niyazov, a professing Muslim^[9], has promoted Islam as part of the moral heritage of Turkmenistan but has repeatedly thwarted Islamic political activity.^[10]

In older pictures, Niyazov had white hair; at the time of his death, it was black.

Turkmenistan has the second largest reserves in the gas-rich former Soviet Union, generating high revenue for the state. The government has used 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 U.S.S.R.^[11]

In 1991 Niyazov's government put forth a decree granting "the free use of water, gas and electricity by the people of Turkmenistan."^[2] In reality, the population receives the lowest possible minimum wage and then the state distributes free water, gas and electricity.^[11]

The Neutrality Arch, atop the monument is a gold-plated statue of Niyazov which rotates 360 degrees every 24 hours so as to always face the sun.

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. The Turkmen language is the state language. All names of months in Turkmenistan were changed from Roman to Turkmen representing famous Turkmen heroes, poets and state leaders.

After an alleged assassination attempt on November 25, 2002, the Turkmen government arrested suspected conspirators and members of their families. Critics claim the government staged the attempt in order to crack down on mounting domestic and foreign political opposition.^[12]

The summer of 2004 saw a leaflet campaign in the capital, Aşgabat, calling for the overthrow and trial of Niyazov. The authorities were unable to stop the campaign and the President responded by firing his Interior Minister and director of the police academy on national television.^[13] He accused the minister of incompetence and declared: "I cannot say that you had any great merits or did much to combat crime."

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.^[14]

By 2005 there were 36,000 Internet users, representing 0.7% of the population.^[15]

Niyazov promoted a policy of strict neutrality in foreign affairs, refraining from seeking membership in NATO or GUUAM and almost ignoring the CSTO. Turkmenistan has not participated in any United Nations peacekeeping missions.

He met with former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to discuss an oil contract in Turkmenistan for a Canadian corporation in late 2004. In March 2005 news of this meeting caused uproar amongst opposition circles in Canada, who claimed the affair could damage Chrétien's legacy.

He announced in 2005 that Turkmenistan would downgrade its links with the Commonwealth of Independent States. He furthermore promised free and fair elections by 2010 in a move that surprised many Western observers.

In 2006 the European Commission and the international trade committee of the European Parliament voted to grant Turkmenistan "most favored 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.^[16]

As President-for-Life of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov issued many controversial and unusual decrees:

• In April 2001, ballet and opera were banned after Niyazov felt they were "unnecessary ... not a part of Turkmen culture".^[17]
• In 2004, the state forbade young men from growing long hair or beards.^[17]
• In March 2004, 15,000 public health workers were dismissed including nurses, midwives, school health visitors and orderlies and replaced with military conscripts.^[18]
• In April 2004 the youth of Turkmenistan were encouraged to chew on bones to preserve their teeth rather than be fitted with gold tooth caps or gold teeth.^[19]
• In April 2004 it was ordered that an ice palace be constructed near the capital.^[20] (In December 2006 an article in the UK's Sunday Times revealed the 'ice palace' to be an ornate ice skating rink.^[21])
• In 2004 all licensed drivers were required to pass a morality test.^[22]
• In 2004 it was prohibited for news readers to wear make-up^[23]
• In February 2005 all hospitals outside Aşgabat were ordered shut, with the reasoning that the sick should come to the capital for treatment. All rural libraries were ordered closed as well, citing ordinary Turkmen do not read books.^[24]
• In November 2005 physicians were ordered to swear an oath to the President, replacing the Hippocratic Oath.^[25]
• In December 2005 video games were banned as being too violent for young Turkmen to play.
• 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.^[26] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan strongly denied allegations that the cut in pensions resulted in the deaths of many elderly Turkmen, accusing foreign media outlets of spreading "deliberately perverted" information on the issue.^[27]
  • (Note: On March 19, 2007 Turkmenistan's new president Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedow has reversed a decision of his predecessor by restoring pensions to more than 100,000 elderly citizens..^[28])
• In September 2006 Turkmen teachers who failed to publish praise of the Turkmen leader would remain at a lower payscale or be sacked.^[29]
• In October 2006 Turkmenistan claimed to have set free 10,056 prisoners, including 253 foreign nationals from 11 countries on the Night of Omnipotence. 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."^[30]
• The Turkmen words for bread and the month of April were changed to the name of his late mother, Gurbansoltanedzhe. ^[31]
• Car radios, lip-synching, and recorded music are all prohibited.^[32]
• Video monitors are required in all public places.^[32]
• Dogs are restricted from the capital city due to unappealing odour.^[33]

All the new names Niyazov introduced refer to the president, national heroes or important historical incidents.

The days of the week are composed of the word Gün (Eng. day) plus the word of the respective meaning. Friday remained unchanged.

On December 21, 2006, Turkmen state television announced that President Niyazov had died of sudden cardiac arrest.^[34][35] Niyazov had been taking medication for an unidentified cardiac condition. The Turkmen Embassy in Moscow later confirmed this report.

According to the Constitution of Turkmenistan, Öwezgeldi Ataýew, Chairman of the Parliament, would assume the presidency. Deputy Prime Minister Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedow was named as head of the commission organizing the state funeral. Due to the imprisonment of Öwezgeldi Ataýew who, under the Constitution is first in line to succeed the presidency, Berdimuhammedow was named as acting president. Berdimuhammedow and the Halk Maslahaty announced on December 26 that the next presidential elections would be held on February 11, 2007.^[36]

The New York Times reported that Niyazov's son, Murat, has been in contention for the presidency after the constitution was amended to allow Turkmen of mixed ethnic backgrounds to qualify for the post.^[3]

The circumstances of Niyazov's passing has been surrounded by some media speculation, including that Niyazov had been the victim of poisoning.^[37] Some Turkmen opposition sources also claim that Niyazov died several days before the officially announced date of December 21.^[38]

Niyazov was buried on December 24 at his home village of Gypjak approximately 10 kilometres from the capital. Prior to being moved to the village, Niyazov's body lay in state in an open coffin in the presidential palace. Many mourners, including foreign delegations, passed by the coffin in a three hour period.^[39] Tang Jiaxuan, the Chinese State Councilor and special envoy of President Hu Jintao to Turkmenistan^[40], Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Richard Boucher,^[41] Iranian Vice President Parviz Davoudi, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli, Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, and Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan attended the funeral.^[42]

• In October 2005, 100,000 copies of Mahribanlarym, a new book by Niyazov, were printed. The book included his lyrical poetry and short stories.^[43]
• Niyazov ordered the building of a new university to be named after Ruhnama. The university was scheduled to be built in 2010.^[44]
• Niyazov was the official Crazied Stalinist Dictator of Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

• Absurdistan

• Theroux, Paul. "The Golden Man: Saparmurat Niyazov's Reign of Insanity". The New Yorker, 28 May 2007, pp. 54-65.

• Turkmenistan News/ Archiv Saparmurat Niyazov's (in English)
• Un-official webpage (in English)
• Un-official webpage (in English)
• Saparmurat Niyazov's Article for UN Chronicle
• Saparmurat Niyazov's Article towards Opening of UN Millenium Summit
• Saparmurat Niyazov on Elections, Turkmen Democracy and Consolidation of Authority in Turkmenistan
• Turkmenistan's Republican Opposition Party in Exile
• Global Witness Report
• Ruhnama - Book by Turkmenbashy (online in English, Russian, Turkish, Turkmen)
• The Ruhnama of Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy the Great
• Opposition webpage (partly in English)
• Transcript of 2004 profile on news program 60 Minutes
• BBC News Country Profile of Turkmenistan with information and articles about Saparmurat Niyazov
• PARADE Magazine's 2006 Annual List Of The World’s 10 Worst Dictators
• Double Standards for Dictators, The Washington Post, April 14, 2006
• Show Trials Like Stalin's in Turkmenistan, The New York Times, January 27, 2003
• President Nyazov's "House of Free Creativity" called a crude provocation - IFEX
• Turkmen Leader To Have Second Eye Operation

• A gold statue of Niyazov
• A gold bust of Niyazov
• Niyazov revolves to face the sun
• Another gold statue of Niyazov