Saparmurat Niyazov

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Saparmyrat Ataýewiç Nyýazow
Saparmurat Niyazov
In office
October 27, 1990 – December 21, 2006
Succeeded by Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedow
In office
1985 – 1990
Preceded by Muhammetnazar Gapurow
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]) (19 February 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 2 November 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.

Contents

[edit] Background

Turkmenistan

This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
Turkmenistan
Other countries · Atlas
 Politics Portal
view • talk • edit

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) 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.

[edit] Personality cult

“ I admit it, there are too many portraits, pictures and monuments. I don't find any pleasure in it, but the people demand it because of their mentality. ”
 
— Saparmurat Niyazov[3]

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.

Another one of Niyazov's personal eccentricities was his refusal to be chauffeured anywhere, preferring instead to always drive himself. No other contemporary world leader did this.[9]

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[10], has promoted Islam as part of the moral heritage of Turkmenistan but has repeatedly thwarted Islamic political activity.[11]

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

[edit] Domestic policy

[edit] Economy

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.[12]

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.[12]

[edit] Culture

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.
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.

[edit] Security

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.[13]

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.[14] 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.[15]

By 2005 there were 36,000 Internet users, representing 0.7% of the population.[16]

[edit] Foreign policy

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 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.[17]

[edit] Presidential decrees

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".[18]
  • In 2004, the state forbade young men from growing long hair or beards.[18]
  • In March 2004, 15,000 public health workers were dismissed including nurses, midwives, school health visitors and orderlies and replaced with military conscripts.[19]
  • 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.[20]
  • In April 2004 it was ordered that an ice palace be constructed near the capital.[21] (In December 2006 an article in the UK's Sunday Times revealed the 'ice palace' to be an ornate ice skating rink.[22])
  • In 2004 all licensed drivers were required to pass a morality test.[23]
  • In 2004 it was prohibited for news readers to wear make-up[24]
  • 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.[25]
  • In November 2005 physicians were ordered to swear an oath to the President, replacing the Hippocratic Oath.[26]
  • 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.[27] 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.[28]
    • (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..[29])
  • In September 2006 Turkmen teachers who failed to publish praise of the Turkmen leader would remain at a lower payscale or be sacked.[30]
  • 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."[31]
  • The Turkmen words for bread and the month of April were changed to the name of his late mother, Gurbansoltanedzhe. [32]
  • Car radios, lip-synching, and recorded music are all prohibited.[33]
  • Video monitors are required in all public places.[33]
  • Dogs are restricted from the capital city due to unappealing odour.[34]

[edit] New names for months and days

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

Month New Name Old Name Meaning
January Türkmenbaşy named in honour of the Türkmenbaşy; also, this month is the beginning (Turkmen baş) of the year
February Baýdak named in honour of the flag of Turkmenistan, as in this month it was created for the independent Turkmenistan
March Nowruz named after the New Year's Day festival (Nowruz), which is celebrated in March
April Gurbansoltan named in honour of Niyazov's mother, as the month in which everything grows and blooms should be dedicated to the mothers
May Magtymguly named in honour of the Turkmen People's Writer, who is honoured on 18th and 19th of May
June Oguz according to Turkmen tradition, all Turkmens are descended from the legendary Oguz Khan
July Gorkut Gorkut, apart from Oguz Khan, is the second great historical person of the Turkmens
August Alp Arslan Alp Arslan is remembered as a Turkmen national hero. In August of 1071 he defeated the army of the Byzantine Empire in the Battle of Manzikert and introduced the Turkmen language
September Ruhnama named in honour of the book written by Niyazov, which he finished writing on September 19th, 2001
October Garaşsyzlyk named in honour of independence (Turkmen Garaşsyzlyk), which Turkmenistan obtained on October 27th, 1991
November Sanjar Sultan Sanjar continued the work of Alp Arslan, and led the Seljuqs to their last full flowering
December Bitaraplyk named in honour of neutrality (Turkmen Bitaraplyk), which was announced to the United Nations General Assembly on December 12th, 1995

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

Day New Name Old Name Meaning
Monday Baş Gün the Day of the Beginning, beginning of the week
Tuesday Ýaş Gün the Young Day
Wednesday Hoş Gün the Good Day
Thursday Sogap Gün the Blessed Day
Friday Anna Anna Mother
Saturday Ruh Gün the Day of the Mind; at this day people should read the Ruhnama
Sunday Dynç Gün the Day of Recovery

[edit] Death

On December 21, 2006, Turkmen state television announced that President Niyazov had died of sudden cardiac arrest.[35][36] 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.[37]

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.[38] Some Turkmen opposition sources also claim that Niyazov died several days before the officially announced date of December 21.[39]

[edit] Burial

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.[40] Tang Jiaxuan, the Chinese State Councilor and special envoy of President Hu Jintao to Turkmenistan[41], Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Richard Boucher,[42] 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.[43]

[edit] Miscellaneous

  • In October 2005, 100,000 copies of Mahribanlarym, a new book by Niyazov, were printed. The book included his lyrical poetry and short stories.[44]
  • Niyazov ordered the building of a new university to be named after Ruhnama. The university was scheduled to be built in 2010.[45]

[edit] See also

[edit] References and notes

  1. ^ "Наследником Туркменбаши может стать следователь московской прокуратуры", Komsomolskaya Pravda, 2006-12-22. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. (Russian) 
  2. ^ a b Turkmenistan Fact Sheet, Government & Politics-President. Embassy of Turkmenistan. Retrieved on 2006-12-22.
  3. ^ a b Chivers, C. J.. "Intrigue Follows Death of a President for Life", New York Times, 2006-12-22. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  4. ^ "Turkmenistan's 'iron ruler' dies", BBC News, 2006-12-21. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  5. ^ The Associated Press. "Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmen Leader, Dies at 66", The New York Times, 2006-12-21. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  6. ^ Harvard Independent, March 1, 2007
  7. ^ "Turkmenbashi Everywhere", CBS News, 2004-01-04. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  8. ^ IFLA Blasts Turkmenistan Library Closings and Rights Violations. American Library Association (2005-5-6). Retrieved on 2006-12-22.
  9. ^ Kleveman, Lutz. The New Great Game: Blood and Oil in Central Asia. New York: Grove Press, 2003. Page 152
  10. ^ Religious Radicalism in the Greater Middle East By Bruce Maddy-Weitzman, Efraim Inbar, pg. 220
  11. ^ Islam Outside the Arab World By David Westerlund, Ingvar Svanberg, pg. 161
  12. ^ a b Badykova, Najia (2004-06-18). The Turkmen Economy: Challenges and Opportunities. St Antony's College, University of Oxford. Retrieved on 2006-12-22.
  13. ^ "Assassination Attempt A Response To Niyazov’s Authoritarian Policies", EurasiaNet, 2002-11-25. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  14. ^ Short resume maintained by Reporters Sans Frontières
  15. ^ Clarke, Michael (2003-01-24). Turkmenistan. Struggling For News In Turkmenistan. Glenn Hauser's World of Radio. Retrieved on 2006-12-22.
  16. ^ The World Factbook entry for Turkmenistan information retrieved on August 30, 2006
  17. ^ "Double Standard for Dictators", WashingtonPost.com, 2004-04-14. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  18. ^ a b Whitlock, Monica. "Young Turkmen face beard ban", BBC News, 2004-02-25. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  19. ^ Whitlock, Monica. "Troops to replace Turkmen medics", BBC News, 2004-03-01. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  20. ^ Burke, Justin. "Turkmen president urges youth to avoid gold teeth", EurasiaNet.org, 2004-04-07. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  21. ^ Osborn, Andrew. "Dictator orders ice palace to be built in central Asian desert", The Independent on Sunday, 2004-08-15. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  22. ^ Januszczak, Waldemar. "In the realm of fantasy", The Sunday Times, 2006-12-17. Retrieved on 2006-12-26. 
  23. ^ Romanoff, Lance Jonn (2005-08-18). Absolute Power Makes You Absolutely Crazy. Ljonn.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-22.
  24. ^ Turkmenistan Project Weekly News Brief, August 13-19, 2004. EurasiaNet.org (2004-06-19). Retrieved on 2006-12-22.
  25. ^ Morgan, David (Translator). "President of Turkmenistan closes hospitals, libraries and nature reserves", Prima-News, 2005-02-14. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  26. ^ "Turkmen Doctors Pledge Allegiance To Niyazov", Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty (RFERL), 2005-11-15. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  27. ^ "Туркменбаши решил истребить всех стариков", NEWSru.com, 2006-02-03. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. (Russian) 
  28. ^ "...Russian media outlets disseminate "deliberately perverted" information on republic's pension maintenance", Turkmenistan.ru, 2006-04-02. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  29. ^ "Turkmen leader restores pensions", bbc.co.uk, 2007-03-19. Retrieved on 2007-03-19. 
  30. ^ "Praise Turkmen leader or else, teachers are told", Telegraph (UK). Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  31. ^ "Turkmenistan to set free 10056 prisoners...", Turkmenistan.ru, 2006-10-17. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  32. ^ "“Tensions Rising as Turkmenistan Stops Pension Payments”", Taipei Times, 2006-02-05. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  33. ^ a b "Turkmenistan bans recorded music", BBC News, 2005-08-23. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  34. ^ "In the realm of fantasy", The Sunday Times Online, 2006-12-17. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  35. ^ "Turkmenistan's 'iron ruler' dies", BBC News, 2006-12-21. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  36. ^ "President of Turkmenistan dies at 66", BreakingNews.ie, 2005-12-21. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. 
  37. ^ "Two candidates named for Turkmen presidency", ITAR TASS, 2006-12-26. Retrieved on 2006-12-26. 
  38. ^ "Saparmurat Niyazov 's werelds gekste dictator", Het Nieuwsblad. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. (Dutch) 
  39. ^ "Turkmenbashi died several days ago", RIA Novosti, 2006-12-21. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. (Russian) 
  40. ^ Turkmen leader's funeral begins. CNN (2006-12-24). Retrieved on 2006-12-24.
  41. ^ Chinese envoy attends funeral of Turkmenistan's late president. China Economic (2006-12-25). Retrieved on 2006-12-25.
  42. ^ Late President of Turkmenistan laid to rest. Calcutta News (2006-12-25). Retrieved on 2006-12-25.
  43. ^ First VP leaves Turkmenistan. IRNA (2006-12-25). Retrieved on 2006-12-25.
  44. ^ Turkmenistan Project Weekly news brief, October 14-20, 2005. EurasiaNet.org. Retrieved on 2007-01-12.
  45. ^ "New Turkmen University Named After Leader’s Book", RFE/RL, 2005-12-13. Retrieved on 2007-01-12. 

[edit] Further reading

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

[edit] External links

[edit] Monuments to Niyazov

Preceded by
Muhammetnazar Gapurow		 General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Turkmen SSR
December 21, 1985 – June 21, 1991		 Succeeded by
None (Position Dissolved)
Preceded by
Roza Bazarova		 President of Turkmenistan
January 19, 1990 – December 21, 2006		 Succeeded by
Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedow
v • d • e
Leaders of Turkmenistan
v • d • e
Prime Ministers of Turkmenistan
Persondata
NAME Niyazov, Saparmurat Atayevich
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Nyýazow, Saparmyrat Ataýewiç (Turkmen); Ниязов, Сапармурат Атаевич (Russian)
SHORT DESCRIPTION first President of Turkmenistan
DATE OF BIRTH February 19, 1940
PLACE OF BIRTH Ashkabad, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union
DATE OF DEATH December 2006
PLACE OF DEATH Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saparmurat_Niyazov"
Personal tools