Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov sings. Berdymukhammedov Gurbanguly Myalikkulievich. Biography. Change without change. Daniil Kislov, expert on Central Asian countries, editor of the Fergana international news agency
The logic of the decisions taken by the country's leadership, and in some states, the political system is largely determined by the personality of the chief leader. the site continues to tell about the biographies, families and hobbies of the leaders of the post-Soviet republics. Previous articles have been devoted to chapters, Uzbekistan. Today the material is about the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov.
The son of a communist
The future holder of the title Arkadag ("patron saint") was born in 1957 in the village of Babarap, fifty kilometers from Ashgabat, into an intelligent family of school teachers. The leader of Turkmenistan is proud of his parents, with them he periodically appears at public events. Military units, streets and squares are named in honor of Arkadag's grandfather and father in Turkmenistan; their detailed biographies were published several years ago. From the books you can learn that the president's grandfather Berdymukhamed Annayev was a village teacher and school director, during the Great Patriotic War he fought with the rank of corporal, and was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor for his labor activity. The father of President Myalikguly Berdimuhamedov is a historian by education, worked at school, then made a career as a worker in correctional institutions, rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel of the internal service, worked in the apparatus of the Ministry of Fruit and Vegetable Economy of the Turkmen SSR. In the book "Faithful Son of the Motherland" it is especially noted that the president's father was a candidate for membership in the CPSU, was a member of the committee for the preparation of holidays in the party committee of the Ministry, and participated in various party and Komsomol meetings.
After leaving school, the future leader decided to devote himself to healing people. At 23, he graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry of the Turkmen State Medical Institute and began working as a dentist in rural and urban clinics. In 1987, he went to Moscow to study in graduate school, three years later he defended his Ph.D. thesis on "Features of the clinic and pathogenesis of major dental diseases in children born of multiparous women." Returning home, the future leader of the republic continued to treat the teeth of patients, at the same time deepening his knowledge and gradually became an associate professor, and then dean of the dental faculty. In 2007, when he had already taken the presidency, it was announced that Berdymukhamedov had been awarded a doctorate in medicine.
At the age of 40, he was appointed Minister of Health. This fact, as well as the fact that in the future he did not fall under numerous purges in the government, gave rise to various gossip. Allegedly, the rapid take-off was facilitated by the fact that Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is in fact the illegitimate son of the former President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov. Moreover, the outward resemblance of the former and current leaders is striking. If we hypothetically present this version as true, it turns out that the current leader was born when Niyazov was only 17 years old.
kremlin.ru
Family
The president has many relatives, but very little is known about what they do. Some information can be gleaned from the memo of the staff of the US Embassy in Ashgabat for the staff of the Department of State in Washington, which was published by the portal Wikileaks. It follows from the document that the Turkmen leader has two daughters and a son, Serdar. The eldest daughter Guljakhon lives in London and is married to Ilasgeldy Amanov, a representative of the Turkmen State Agency for the Management and Use of Hydrocarbon Resources in Great Britain. The youngest Gulshan lives in Paris and is married to an employee of the Turkmen embassy in France, Deryo Atabaev, the couple has a villa on the Cote d'Azur. Also, American diplomats wrote that, according to rumors, Berdymukhamedov has an unofficial Russian wife named Marina, who previously worked as a nurse in the same dental clinic where the head of state worked. Marina, like her 22-year-old daughter with the president, lived in London at the time of writing the note in 2010, according to the employees of the American embassy.
More information about son Serdar, born in 1981. In 2001, he received an engineering degree from the Turkmen Agricultural University and has since become a doctor of sciences, a deputy of parliament, a lieutenant colonel, an honored trainer of the country, and in March 2018 he was appointed deputy foreign minister. Serdar has a wife, three daughters and a son.
Gurbanguly was the only son of his parents, but he has five sisters. Some of them hold positions of responsibility, for example Gulnabat is the head of the national organization of the Red Crescent.
Recently, together with the president, his grandson Kerimguly, the son of his eldest daughter Guljakhon, began to appear in public. In the summer, Turkmen television showed how the head of state together with his grandson performed a rap of their own composition.
All that is known about the president's wife is that her name is Ogulgerek, and she is the same age as her husband. Sometimes Berdymukhamedov appears in public with his wife, but extremely rarely, she does not give interviews. Arkadag does not like to let others into his family life. But he himself has recently been present in almost every wedding photo in the country: since 2013, all newlyweds have been obliged to take a picture in the registry office against the background of the president's portrait.
Handyman
The President of Turkmenistan has many very diverse interests. In the list of hobbies and sports, which he has been engaged in since childhood. At the age of 15, the future leader of the nation became the champion of Ashgabat in freestyle wrestling, and a year later - the champion of the republic in shooting. Now he has many sports titles in various international sports associations and federations, personally participates in horse races and auto races, watches football competitions with interest.
Another area of interest is music. The head of state plays the guitar, accordion, keyboards and drums, he himself composes songs in various genres, from pop and pop to rap. He also loves to sing, both songs of his own composition and other authors. This year, the President congratulated the women of the republic on March 8, singing the song of Igor Sarukhanov "Kara-kum".
Berdymukhamedov also loves to invent and assemble equipment. Recently, state television showed how the president personally designed and then built a racing car from his own drawings.
But the biggest hobby of the leader of Turkmenistan is writing books, which are translated into many languages of the world by a special staff of translators in the country. Berdymukhamedov wrote volumes, including the importance of sports, the need to get education, the benefits of drinking tea, the beauty of music and nature, the importance of water for the national economy, horse breeding, and spiritual self-improvement. The encyclopedic collection in 9 volumes "Healing herbs of Turkmenistan" is recommended for use by all medical institutions of the republic. His last opus, published in 2018, is called "The Teaching of Arkadag - the basis of health and inspiration."
Last week in Russia, all TV channels at once became National Geografic with a single two-hour program "Race for the Pike" (with reruns in all news broadcasts). Obviously, someone is trying hard to emphasize their masculinity - the best remedy before future elections. However, this "someone" in the world of political alpha males is now officially only the second, because the first is now the President of Turkmenistan.
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the current Turkmenbashi and Arkadag (Patron) in one person, set his next record of heroism last week. At the military exercises near Ashgabat, Berdimuhamedov showed by personal example how to hit the enemy with a sniper rifle from five meters, frown when throwing a knife into the hat of a conditional enemy and, of course, reload a pistol in the style of Alexander Nevsky. Hero!
But if you think that these are the only superpowers of Arkadag, then shame and twenty years of Turkmen hard labor on your head! Berdymukhamedov is not only the king of the whole world and an example to follow in the army, but also the master of sports. Here he is so enthusiastically engaged in simulators and does not even sweat that the entire government, unable to restrain itself (and how can you restrain yourself - this is Turkmenistan), rushes to train with the same passion.
Arkadag, however, does not need all these pathetic attempts of his plebs - he is above this and is ready to swing himself at any time and without subordinates (but with a TV camera and conversations during exercises). Oh, what a bench press he has! What muscles! What a stern, but slightly absent-minded look!
And all the equipment obeys Arkadag: from a racing car ...
... to some kind of super tank, which, after leaving the water, automatically dries up (and glows inside under water).
However, as befits any superhero, the bulk of Arkadag's affairs are far from weapons and aggression. For example, he writes books. If you only knew what these books are! About tea, about horses, about medicinal herbs - only 35 items. The only strange thing is that among the books of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov there is not a single collection of tongue twisters.
Even Berdymukhamedov, walking along the road, can open up an entire modern village (move over, Gotham!). True, after that the village immediately disappears, but is this not evidence of the wonderful essence of Arkadag ?!
But Berdymukhamedov's main occupation is his singing. He can sing in any genre. If you want a guitar riff, you will have a riff! In the hands of Arkadag, any out of tune instrument turns into a cheerful source of music.
If you want a piano, you will have a piano. White, but no ballerinas inside (and, it seems, no sound). Arkadag does not accept vulgarity!
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov came to power in 2007. Subordinates call him "arkadag" - patron. In addition, he is the prime minister and commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces. Lawmakers also awarded him the title of "Hero of Turkmenistan". The president is limited only by his own inexperience, lack of independent government, the mentality of the population and Russian influence.
Berdymukhammedov is a complex combination of the Soviet bureaucrat, the traditional Turkmen tribal elite and intelligence, which psychologically fundamentally distinguishes him from his predecessor. Strong family ties and professional work style suggest that he has the intention to achieve something in Turkmenistan while he is in office and is open to new ideas. However, his incompetence and desire to act gradually indicate that this process will be very long.
short biography
Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov was born in 1957 in the village of Babarap, Geok-Tepin district, Ashgabat region, Turkmen SSR. The president differs from his predecessor in many ways, especially in origin. Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, whose family was large, conservative, but atheistic, seems to have absorbed traditional family values. His parents were at the same time loyal to their ethnic Turkmen roots and loyal to the Soviet state. In the official biography, published after taking office, his father is credited with bringing up moderation and balance in his son, encouraging thoughtful decision-making in him.
National traditions are manifested in a respectful attitude towards the wife. As is customary in Asian countries, almost nothing is reported about the president's wife and his children. According to rumors, there are two women in his life - a Russian (possibly a mistress, but this has not been confirmed) and a Turkmen. Some argue that their marriage was arranged by agreement, but it is noteworthy that since taking office, Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov, whose wife is from Mary region, appointed many officials from there, as well as from Geok-Depa.
In 1979, he graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry of the Turkmen State Medical Institute and began working as a dentist in a rural outpatient clinic. By 1987, Gurbanguly was gradually climbing the career ladder and went to Moscow for 3 years to study therapeutic dentistry. In Ashgabat, he returned to the position of a teacher at the Turkmen Medical Institute in 1990. In 1995, he joined the Ministry of Health, and two years later became its head. In April 2001, Berdymukhammedov became Deputy Prime Minister responsible for education, science and health.
New president
Turkmenistan was left without Saparmurat Niyazov on December 21, 2006. Berdymukhammedov was appointed as his interim Security Council. This decision surprised many in the international community as well as in the country itself. It has been speculated that the powerful Turkmen security service preferred a politically weak individual. According to rumors circulating among the emigrants, Berdymukhammedov is Niyazov's illegitimate son. This is possible in terms of the age difference, but is considered unlikely.
On February 11, 2007, Berdymukhammedov was elected head of state with nearly 90% of the popular vote. After he took office, the diaspora and many citizens hoped for a relaxation of the total control that the former president of Turkmenistan had surrounded. Some improvements have been made: Berdymukhammedov reinstated pensions canceled by his predecessor, eased travel restrictions, and re-established the 10th grade of high school that Niyazov had abolished. However, in the first year of his tenure as head of state, there were no signs that he would carry out real political and economic reforms that could lead to the democratization of the country.
In late 2007, he replaced some of the portraits of Niyazov, a striking feature of Ashgabat, with his own. This gave rise to speculation that the new president, imitating his predecessor, began to impose his own personality cult. In addition, Berdymukhammedov continued Niyazov's ambitious construction projects, including the construction of a new seaport and airport in the city of Turkmenbashi on the Caspian coast. On February 13, 2012, he was re-elected for a second term amid widespread criticism that the election was fraudulent.
Impressions of the President
Some of the foreign guests who met with the newly elected president, after talking with him, came to the conclusion that he was not as talented as they say. However, his ability to navigate complex subjects may be limited by the quality of the reference material provided and his degree of familiarity with the topic. Those who worked with Berdymukhammedov when he was Minister of Health say he was a professional conversationalist, knowledgeable, positive and open to constructive ideas and suggestions, especially in areas such as health and education. There were also times when he, like other Turkmen officials, was isolated for a long time from foreign scientific and technical developments and did not understand the essence of the proposals of non-governmental organizations or aid groups. True, when the host of the project tried to explain its essence in a more understandable language, the president complained that they talk to him like a child.
Personal qualities
It was rumored that Berdymukhammedov's son hit a pedestrian while racing in his car on the Archabil highway in Ashgabat. The President is still offended by the high-ranking official of the Ministry of National Security responsible for the temporary arrest of the offender. Although there is no confirmation of this, it is unlikely that his son spent much time in prison. He now lives abroad.
They also talk about the president's intolerance towards government officials who do not respect the chain of command or are not entirely decent. He was rumored to have fired two women for whispering and laughing when he entered the room. He requires female civil servants to cover their arms and legs and is not shy about criticizing their choice of clothing. Berdymukhammedov has a reputation for being a very demanding leader who instills fear in his employees. When he is angry, he kicks everything and yells, but not with his direct subordinates, he is more restrained.
Also, his personal qualities are evidenced by the fact that the plane of the President of Turkmenistan Niyazov was sold to the leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko. Berdymukhammedov did not want to fly it - this, they say, is a bad omen.
Niyazov?
Berdymukhammedov broke all records after surviving three government crises while serving in the cabinet. In 2003, Niyazov publicly chastised him for failing to upgrade the qualifications of new doctors and teachers, but he retained his post. In 2004, the former president of Turkmenistan publicly criticized him once again and fined him three months' salary for allowing arrears in the salaries of medical and educational workers, but he remained in the office again. It is also said that before the death of Niyazov, his personal herd was struck by an epidemic, which killed many livestock. The veterinarian was imprisoned, but the president did not strip Berdymukhammedov of his post. There is no explanation or theory about how he succeeded, except for the rumor that he is the illegitimate son of Turkmenbashi. Niyazov could have become his father at 17. Most likely, Berdymukhammedov's intellectual abilities and his political instinct allowed him to take the necessary steps to maintain his position.
Revival after the "golden age"
Officially, Niyazov's “golden age of the Turkmen” is not over yet (it should cover the entire 21st century). Nevertheless, the government under Berdymukhammedov, to characterize the "new" era, put forward the slogan - "new revival". True, it is not clear why the country needs to be rebuilt after the "golden age". As the Turkmen press explained in the early days of Berdymukhammedov's rule, the nation “needs a new rebirth after the people suffered the sudden death of the Turkmenbashi, the great leader. It is required by those who believe that the people were left without their "caring father". In addition, the practice of restoring the president's ancestral village, begun by Niyazov, continued under Berdymukhammedov.
Cult of personality
As for the replacement of the deified members of the Niyazov family, it seems that the President of Turkmenistan decided to spare this issue. Only Malikguly, Berdymukhammedov's father, plays an active role in creating a new national idea. Attempts by government ideologists to create a second Gurbansoltan-Eje (the cult name of the Turkmenbashi's mother) from Berdymukhammedov's mother failed. In local schools, Niyazov's faces were replaced with posters depicting the new leader of the nation depicting his life, academic achievements, including a diploma from the Turkmen Medical Institute and a PhD in dentistry from the Moscow Medical Institute.
The President, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, has created his own cult of personality and does not feel any discomfort in this regard. After his election by the Democratic Party, which supported the concept of one strong ruler, the task was to create a new leader. Activists across Turkmenistan began to praise the president. Berdymukhammedov's omnipresence is instilled by his portraits hung throughout Ashgabat and the rest of the country. The president's photographs have been posted on billboards at major intersections, conference rooms in government buildings, and banquet rooms in government restaurants and hotels. On Turkmenistan Airlines flights, a photo of Berdymukhammedov hangs in the front of the cabin. His portraits are also in the local gym, where the president is engaged in karate. In June 2010, he presided over the opening ceremony of the central mosque in Mary, which was named after him.
Tireless writer
The power of the head of state is versatile - he is the main expert on everything from urban planning to medicine. The books of the President of Turkmenistan are published regularly. Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov writes about medicinal plants and the "era of new revival" - the period of his reign.
State TV channels show how he presides over government meetings almost every day, where he appears to strictly assess the work of each deputy prime minister. He is also often shown on horseback, practicing other sports, while touring the many new developments underway across the country. TV presenters and commentators attribute almost every positive news to “our dear president”. When the first South Korean buses appeared on the streets of Ashgabat, they bore the inscription “Gift of the respected president”.
Achievements, sayings and decrees of the President of Turkmenistan are often at the center of speeches by Turkmen officials, even if the event has little to do with him.
The limits of narcissism
So far, self-praise of Berdymukhammedov is somewhat limited. Until recently, he did not erect monuments to himself, like his predecessor, and did not print his image on banknotes. True, in 2015, a giant golden statue of Berdymukhammedov on horseback was still erected on top of a marble cliff. Most private homes and restaurants do not have presidential posters. The names of the months and days of the week do not bear his name or the names of his relatives, as was the case under Niyazov.
One actor theater
While there are undoubtedly people who have influence over Berdymukhammedov, the government of Turkmenistan is his deputies in the government who are extremely deferential to the president, both in open and in closed sessions. In many ways, they act as its attendants. The President of Turkmenistan has literally filled with himself - from weddings and New Years to daily activities such as going to the gym. will continue to grow, as Turkmen do not know other models of local government. Plans to relocate some of the former president's statues are signs that Berdymukhammedov's image is strengthening as the sole source of power.
Coca-Cola lover
Berdymukhammedov is not as healthy as he is portrayed. He suffers from type 2 diabetes and the likely long-term consequences associated with it. Considering weight problems and addiction to Coca-Cola, such a diagnosis seems plausible.
The President of Turkmenistan drinks only Coca-Cola in small glass bottles. Every few months, a government official from his administration comes to the factory and randomly selects boxes of sweet water. Coca-Cola accounts for 60% of the company's sales in Turkmenistan, mainly because the president of the country, a dentist by profession, loves this particular drink.
Relatives of the President of Turkmenistan take everything from life and homeland
Original of this material© Ferghana.Ru, 26.01.2018, Photo: EPA, turkmenistan.gov.tm, via Ferghana.Ru, Still from the video: via "Chronicle of Turkmenistan"
He is not an orphan
Over the years, information about the family of the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and his immediate family remained closed. The population of the country, of course, guessed that the second president, unlike Saparmurat Niyazov, far from being an orphan - he has a family, children, grandchildren, and other relatives. But what kind of relatives they are, what they do, what they look like - for the time being, almost no one knew. As, however, the general public knew little about Berdymukhamedov himself, until the time came for him to take the presidential throne. |
| Serdar Berdimuhamedov (right) |
However, this is just the beginning. In May 2017, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, at the head of a delegation from Turkmenistan, travels to Tatarstan, where he holds talks with the head of the republic, Rustam Minnikhanov. A few days later, he meets with the chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko. Such meetings, as some believe, are not quite according to his rank, after all, he is not the chairman of the Mejlis, but only the chairman of one of the committees. However, which is too much for a simple deputy, the president’s son is quite tough.
The list of his achievements does not end there - as they say, a talented person is talented in everything. Having shown extraordinary abilities, first in science, then in diplomacy, Serdar turned his gaze to sports. According to the TDH agency, during the "meeting in accordance with the Resolution of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, Serdar Gurbangulyevich Berdimuhamedov was presented with a certificate and a badge on the award of the honorary title" Türkmenistanyň at gazanan tälimçisi "(" Honored coach of Turkmenistan "). Thus, his merits were noted for increasing the international prestige of Turkmenistan as a sports power and his personal contribution to the training of athletes who won prizes in the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. "
The question of when such a busy person managed to train professional athletes still remains open. It is only known that not all active coaches liked the assignment of such a high title to Serdar. However, most likely, envy speaks in them. Among them there are probably those who have devoted their entire lives to sports, training athletes, introducing children to physical education, and their merits have not yet been marked by the state. The son of the president, thanks to his extraordinary abilities, achieves heights in everything that interests him.
Probably, nothing else but envy explains the hostility towards Serdar and the regular military. They, obviously, all the time ask a trivial question: "Like a yellow-bellied chick, who did not serve in the army for a day and did not smell gunpowder, so quickly grew first to a major, and then to a lieutenant colonel?"
“There are simply no words, but I believe that by such actions the president disgraces not only himself and his son, but also discredits the very title and honor of an officer,” writes a retiree who fought in Afghanistan and was awarded military awards in the same rank as and Serdar. To get such stars, a person had to fight, get seriously wounded, and then wait another 20 years for an order to confer a rank, and then again! - and the president's son is already a lieutenant colonel.
There are probably people who observe Serdar's successes with just idle curiosity. However, it seems that the chairman of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, Akji Nurberdyeva, these successes cause legitimate concern and even fear. It seems that she has some reason to believe that Serdar is the first candidate for her place.
It is indicative in this sense that at the end of 2017, the Turkmen media vied with each other about how the people's deputy Serdar Berdimuhamedov came to voters in the Dushak village of the Kaakhki region to open a new medical complex for 375 places there. It seems that such reports about the deputies have not been in Turkmenistan for all the years of independence. And certainly such stories were not filmed about the current chairman of the Mejlis Nurberdyeva. Thus, it all looked as if S. Berdimuhamedov out of 125 deputies of the Turkmen Mejlis was the only one working by the sweat of his brow and thinking about the needs and aspirations of his voters.
So it cannot be ruled out that in the near future Akdzhi Nurberdyeva will be asked to vacate the chair of the chairman so that he will be taken by a young promising leader, who, by chance, may be the president's son.
Although it seems that the swing of Arkadag is wider. Unlike Saparmurat Niyazov, who seems to sincerely considered himself immortal, the current head of Turkmenistan looks at things more rationally. If something happened - and anything can happen, as everyone saw on the example of Niyazov - let your own son be the successor rather than a completely outside uncle. Moreover, he will not have to think about the title: he is already Serdar, the Leader.
What is allowed to Arkadag
For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that nepotism is common in the Central Asian republics. Moreover, it applies to all social spheres, from the very bottom to the sky-high presidential heights. Whoever you take - be it Rahmon, Karimov, Nazarbayev- everyone has some kind of relatives in power, everyone has one or another gesheft from the state budget.
At the same time, the late Saparmurat Niyazov, with all his specific features, in this sense behaved quite modestly and did not place children in positions of power.
But the current president of Turkmenistan is a completely different person. He has a whole car of these relatives, and everyone wants to get a position, to take over someone else's business, to put money from the state budget into his pocket - in a word, to do something useful for the country to the best of his ability.
It may well be that all these relatives are very good people. But the proximity to Arkadag spoiled them a little. But no matter how good they are in themselves, this is still not enough to give them the whole state.
Arkadag himself can do anything: throw knives, fly a helicopter, ride on tank and bike, to rule horse and racing car , to play guitar , sing songs of your own composition, hang their portraits everywhere and erect monuments to themselves.
["ANT", Turkmenistan, 16.01.2018, "The portraits of the president are being changed again in Turkmenistan": Since the new year, the portraits of the president have been renewed in state institutions of Turkmenistan. From now on, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov appears not in a red tie, but in a black one. It is reported that private enterprises were also instructed to replace the portraits of the head of state.
The price of one portrait is three manats. In government agencies, including schools, the face of the president is in every office and classroom. Teachers are forced to pay for the replacement out of their own pocket. At the same time, they were asked to hand over old portraits.
“This, apparently, so that one fine morning no one would find tens and even hundreds of thousands of portraits of the president in a garbage dump,” joked a teacher from Ashgabat.
The Turkmen authorities regularly change the image of Berdymukhamedov. Now he is younger, now he is serious and looks straight, then he smiles and looks somewhere to the side. The last time the country changed its face was at the end of February last year, that is, less than a year ago. Then the president was wearing a red tie against the background of a Turkmen carpet. - Box K.ru]
People will react with understanding to all these nice eccentricities and small weaknesses: the president is the president for that. But when his offspring, sisters, sons-in-law, nephews and other grandchildren begin to make the same, this is a completely different matter. As the ancient Romans would say in this case: what is allowed to Jupiter is not allowed to the nephew. But it seems that numerous relatives of Arkadag do not want to understand, which causes strong irritation in society.
The situation is aggravated by the transparency of the modern information society. No matter how the presidential clan hides its extravagant hobbies, sooner or later everything comes to the surface. Moreover, not everyone is hiding.
On opposition and human rights websites, on social networks, on web servers for instant messaging and in smartphone applications, one can see, for example, very interesting details from the life of the president's sister, Gulnabat Dovletova. Videos have been posted on public display, where the nephews, sons-in-law and other relatives of the head of the Turkmen state with their friends roll out in expensive cars, feast in luxurious restaurants and smoke hookah in the most expensive hotels. The most curious thing is that these videos and photos are not posted by some paparazzi or enemies of the president. They were filmed and posted on the network by the heroes of such "reports". Selfies like "look how cool I am and be jealous" have become self-revealing for many members of the president's family. Another thing is how much they themselves are afraid of such revelations. It looks like not particularly.
Although there are exceptions among them: some relatives prefer to arrange their affairs in blessed silence. For example, a source in Ashgabat reports that a special group of specialists in computer and IP technologies, formally assigned to the Ministry of Communications, but in fact subordinate to the Ministry of National Security, has been instructed to prevent any attempts by Internet users to access sites prohibited and blocked in the country. Their responsibilities also include preventing rumors, or rather, spreading information about the president's sister Gulnabat Dovletova. She is the executive director of the National Red Crescent Society of Turkmenistan (NRCS), which.A lot of negativity can be found on the Internet about the president's son-in-law, Nazar Rejepov, who controls business and entrepreneurship in the country. Information about one of Berdymukhamedov's nephews, Shomurod, can generally terrify an impressionable person. Shomurod is known for his wild, uncontrollable disposition, he is able to raise his hand against anyone who will contradict him in word or deed. It is known, for example, that he beat the investigator only because he disobeyed his order and did not close the criminal case against his friend.
["CenterAsia", 20 12.2015, "Berdymukhamedov's beloved nephew beat the investigator. The investigator was punished": According to a source in the prosecutor's office, the incident took place in November this year.
[...] the nephew of President Berdymukhammedov, while in Dubai (UAE), called the investigator of the prosecutor's office, who was in charge of a criminal case against a certain Aman, a close friend and classmate of Shomurod. By phone, Shomurod demanded to immediately stop the investigative actions against his friend and not to bring him to criminal responsibility. However, the investigator refused his request, which infuriated Shomurod, whom no one in Turkmenistan has the right to contradict and deny anything.
The very next day, Shomurod flew to Ashgabat and, accompanied by 8 friends-athletes, arrived for a personal audience with the intractable investigator. Without asking unnecessary questions, the thugs severely beat the obstinate investigator.
After the incident, the prosecutor intervened in the case. He personally prepared all the necessary documents to release Haman from criminal liability and an order to dismiss the beaten investigator.
The head of state was also informed of the incident, who instructed the Presidential Security Service to detain his nephew and send him back to Dubai on the next flight. The President's order was fulfilled instantly. And no one knows about the fate of the poor investigator.
It should be noted that Shomurod is currently building a large hotel in Dubai and "assists" Turkmen entrepreneurs in supplying expensive cars and sports cars from the UAE to Turkmenistan. At the same time, the ban on the import of vehicles with an engine volume of more than 3.5 cc, introduced in Turkmenistan, does not apply to Shomurod. - Box K.ru]
In general, about the president's nephews - the sons of his sister Gulnabat - they say that they controlled all imports of alcoholic beverages, tobacco and industrial products. The people even joke about this that “there are not enough business objects for all the nephews in the country, and the last stage of privatization was launched for them”.
You can endlessly list the relatives of Arkadag and their ugliness, but this is unlikely to change the situation. In this regard, I only remember that Lenin dreamed that any cook could rule the state. Turkmenistan seems to have come to a point where every relative of President Berdymukhamedov is capable of running a state. Another question: will there be enough states in the world to get all his relatives?
How Gulnabat Dovletova took control of the Turkmen Red Crescent
Original of this material© "ATM", Turkmenistan, 06.07.2017, Photo: via "ATM"
At the behest of my sister
Gulnabat Myalikgulyevna Dovletova is the sister of the President of Turkmenistan, since the beginning of 2014 she has been the executive director of the National Red Crescent Society of Turkmenistan (NRCST). In 2013, she was forced to leave her job from the khyakimlik (mayor's office) of the capital district named after President Niyazov. The reason, according to the sources, is the machinations with various kinds of tenders. The chairman of the society is Maral Almazovna Achilova, but she does not have any power - all issues are decided by Gulnabat Dovletova.Former employees of the Red Crescent, who left at different times, but for one reason - the society lost its original role and turned into a feeding trough for its new de facto leader, talk about the new orders and methods of management of the president's sisters.
Two months after the arrival of Gulnabat, the Red Crescent Six rewrote the organization's charter, re-registered it again and changed the position of the president's sister: from now on, she became known as the “General Director”. The newly minted boss took over the seal of the organization and began to exercise her power.
NKPT is an independent humanitarian public organization. Its main mission is to provide assistance to victims of emergencies and natural disasters, as well as to the poor (orphans, lonely elderly, disabled people), in wartime - to help the wounded and their families.
Before the arrival of Gulnabat, the fundamental principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement were inscribed on the wall of the main foyer of the National Society: humanity, independence, impartiality, voluntariness, unity, universality, neutrality. Having become the general director, Dovletova ordered the inscriptions to be erased.
Gulnabat began her activity by making herself a large one on the ground floor of two offices. She put two security guards behind the counter at the entrance to the office, and sent a disabled employee to guard another room - the building of the Red Crescent at 44 Azadi Street. She explained this by the fact that it looks indecent for the main office. I sent all the employees to the basement, where I also made major repairs. In each department she hung up portraits of her brother-president. Previously, it only hung in the lobby.
All the windows of the employees' workplace were bricked up, practically walled up people and leaving them without fresh air and sunlight. In the foyer, she put upholstered furniture and placed a large aquarium with fish. One "shark" swims among them, the rest of the individuals reproduce, serving it as food. The allegory is read unambiguously, everything is like in the Red Crescent, where the shark is the CEO, and the fish are all employees.
According to the charter, in order to cover its needs, the NKPT has the right to open self-supporting enterprises under its roof. Taking advantage of this point, Dovletova opened a sewing workshop and two large pharmacies. At the planning meeting, she announced that from now on everyone should order dresses and embroidery only in this workshop and purchase medicines in their pharmacies, where prices are higher than in other points.
“You know how much a license to open a pharmacy costs [meaning the unofficial price - approx. ANT]? - she looked around at the planning meeting of her subordinates. - One million dollars! And we got it. Gradually, our pharmacies will open throughout the country. Nobody else will get a license for this type of activity in the country ”.
From the very beginning of her activity, the president's sister introduced a mandatory dress code among female employees - to appear at work only in Turkmen national dresses on the floor and with embroidery on the collar and chest. It's just not possible in a long dress, certainly with embroidery. A long skirt with a blouse is also not permissible.
“In a traditional Turkmen family, it is considered shameful to wear a skirt, which means that a girl is frivolous and even loose, that is. easily accessible, ”she said.
Her team leadership is a system of prohibitions. So, Dovletova canceled the time off for employees: “No one in Turkmenistan gets them, and you will not rest!”, - said at the planning meeting, although this is a violation of the Labor Code. And now full-time workers are on duty around the clock in the office on holidays and go to work the next day.
Gulnabat prohibited volunteers from gathering at the head office, ignoring the statutory condition that volunteers are the driving force behind the NOCPT. Closed the hot lunch dispenser, replacing them with dry rations. Now entrepreneurs bring in the carcasses of sheep, and all employees of the head office cut raw meat into rations with their bare hands, and then distribute to the recipients of the NKPT. The president's sister even decides who should be given meat and who will not.
Another "innovation" of Dovletova is the abolition of lump-sum payments to disabled people. They, they say, receive benefits from the state. Introduced a ban on giving gifts on holidays to the wards of the Nursing Home. Literally her remark on this matter: “There are only prostitutes living there, they did not give birth to children, and if there were children, they don’t need old people, therefore they are handed over to a nursing home. When I worked in the khyakimlik, I never gave them gifts. " And the same is also said at the planning meeting.
Among the prohibitions introduced there is one: employees cannot sit on upholstered furniture in the main foyer, into which the exit from the CEO's office opens. And you can't go up from the basement to the first floor unnecessarily. The staff jokingly refer to themselves as the children of the dungeon. But it is impossible because Gulnabat receives visitors all day. On weekdays, everyone who wants to get a handout from the master's shoulder comes to her, mostly her acquaintances. On holidays, all heads of organizations and enterprises, entrepreneurs bring gifts. According to an eyewitness, her driver does not have time to take the gifts home.
"Personal is mine and someone else's is also mine"
The general director does not draw a special boundary between his own family and the team, between home and work. Her eldest granddaughter Nurana, a 4th grade student, is constantly in the main office, and not in her grandmother's office, but in Jemal, the secretary of the chairman of the Society, Maral Achilova. In the chairman's reception room, like in a children's room, toys, dolls, a blackboard for lessons, textbooks, writing utensils and other objects and things that have nothing to do with the specifics of a serious social organization are piled up. Starting with lunch, the secretary is entirely concerned with the child, becoming an ordinary nanny. Very convenient, no one has to pay.By the way, a little about who belongs to whom in the Dovletova family. Nurana is the daughter of the eldest daughter of Gulnabat Maral and the son-in-law of Shamurad, a well-known outlaw Shamma in the capital. This is the one who beat the prosecutor to a pulp for the fact that he refused to close a criminal case against a friend, the one who takes business away from honest entrepreneurs.
Gulnabat has appointed her son-in-law to manage the pharmacies of the NKPT. Shamurat is not only Dovletova's son-in-law, but at the same time her own nephew, her sister's son. That is, the sisters married their children. Among the Turkmens, such marriages are very common. And Gulnabat also discussed this at the planning meeting.
“They say about me that I am a nationalist, nothing like that. Yes, I married my daughter to my nephew. What's the big deal, I want to preserve my family, ”she said.
Mixing the personal with the service and vice versa, Dovletova allows her associates to do the same. So Ayna Garadzhaeva, her non-staff secretary, being the coordinator of the program, does nothing, but she regularly travels abroad. At work, her duties include keeping records of visitors, setting appointments for them with the boss, and filtering out unnecessary ones. Together with the boss, they place the children in kindergartens, prestigious schools, institutes, receiving rewards for this. G. Dovletova can take the money, not fulfill the request, and the money cannot be returned.
And what about the chairman of the NOCPT M. Achilova? She has absolutely no rights. Gulnabat controls her movements, her gasoline consumption when using a state car, insults her at every opportunity. What can we say about employees, they get it at every planning meeting. Dovletova is not shy in expressions, her statements not only offend people, they introduce them into shock, into a stupor. For example, she stated: "You are all immoral, your women have no husbands, men have no wives." To a male representative, she can tell in person - you are not a man at all. And the caretaker for his offense openly threatened - get ready for prison, I will jail you. As a result, she fired him under the article for theft.
The general director does not allow nurses working under the Tuberculosis Prevention program to attend planning meetings, and does not allow them to participate in corporate events of the company. So she is afraid of contracting tuberculosis. And this is at a time when program staff are educating the public about the inadmissibility of discrimination in TB, labeling people with TB.
For many years, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent has pushed through the issue of Internet access for the NRCS. In 2013, access to the World Wide Web was opened, and all departments were connected to the global network. Gulnabat closed this window to the outside world. Then she turned off the "8-ku" in all departments, i.e. access to long-distance communication, although the Red Crescent of Turkmenistan operates throughout the country, it has more than 50 branches of regional, district, village significance. “Call from your mobiles,” she said at the planning meeting. Employees have to pay for communications out of their own pockets. Grant programs provide funds for communication, but she does not allow them to be used.
Today more than 100 employees have lost their jobs, almost all programs have closed. And it looks like this situation will persist as long as the sister is the CEO. And from this place she will not leave, she is very comfortable here. It is difficult to find another such place in Ashgabat. An office in the city center, she conducts a public reception of her visitors, does not report to anyone. I put security cameras on all sides. Forced the police to set up a post - booth 02 with a 24-hour watchman. The owners of private houses next to the office were unlucky - Gulnabat took away their adjoining territory to widen the road, because her car could not drive up to the office.
“All the achievements of the Red Crescent in 25 years of independence have been destroyed. This is beneficial to the authorities, because they, the authorities, are not interested in the development of civil society. International donors are reluctant to fund the RCST. And now the organization exists and okay, no one cares that it does not fulfill its mission, "- said the former employees of the Red Crescent.
["ANT", Turkmenistan, 08/01/2017, "The Red Crescent of Turkmenistan:" Slander of envious people "or does it really hurt your eyes?" : The authors of the first ANT material - people close to the Society [...] told the editorial board other features of the Society's work and the behavior of its general director. […]
“Previously, employees were admitted to the Society on a competitive basis, and this was in accordance with the principles of the International RCMP Federation. Now the general director of Dovletova accepts only those whom she liked personally or by family. So an experienced employee with many years of experience, Merdan Kemzhaev, who headed the department for emergency situations and natural disasters, was fired by his sister, and in his place she took a person from the street who had no experience of such work. This department was completely disbanded for some time, but later reopened, because without it the Society cannot function at all, ”the source said.
One of the current employees told ANT that the collective is most outraged by the nepotism that its general director creates in this organization. […] The source indicates that the Company's accountant, Eziz Garayev, is a close relative of Gulnabat Dovletova. Garayev's brother is married to one of her four daughters. It turns out that the relative of the president's sister is directly related to the finances of the organization.
The KKKP Dovletova is trying to send them to international forums. […]
There were also responses from Turkmen entrepreneurs who faced Gulnabat Dovletova.
“I read the commentary of Guvanch Hummedov and I cannot but answer it, because I myself once had the stupidity to make a donation to the Red Crescent. I must say right away that it was not on a voluntary basis, but under pressure from Dovletova. She takes advantage of the fact that she is a relative of the president, thanks to which she makes people in business do what she needs. Every holiday, crowds of entrepreneurs bring her gifts in full cars, and on her birthday, July 22, the entire large hall of the Society is filled with expensive flowers. There are so many flowers that casual visitors to the Society think that someone has died there. Flowers, expensive perfume and sweets are brought in by all the local performers, she also "protects" them. None of them dares to speak somewhere at someone's celebration without the permission of their sister. Among my acquaintances, businessmen, there are those who seek to be at Dovletova's mercy and receive bonuses from her in the form of unhindered currency conversion, clearing goods at customs, free travel abroad, obtaining land for construction, etc. I understand them, but I can't do that myself ... ”- Insert K.ru]
Berdymukhamedov: "No one will be allowed to steal people's money"
Original of this material© "Chronicle of Turkmenistan", Turkmenistan, 27.01.2018, Quote of the day. Tokmok
“No one will be allowed to steal money from the people, make money at their expense,” the head of state emphasized, saying that, if necessary, the powers of the State Service for Combating Economic Crimes will be further expanded and its staff will be increased, but with such a disgusting phenomenon as embezzlement of state funds will be over! "
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov
(talking about corruption at the 2017 meeting).
In the 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index, Turkmenistan is in 154th place out of 176.
Before the presidency of Turkmenistan, almost nothing was known about Berdymukhamedov, but now his biography has been replenished with many facts.
In the presidential elections held on February 12, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov won 97.69% of the vote, the country's Central Election Commission said yesterday. And 97.27% of voters took part in the elections.
Berdymukhamedov was first elected head of state ten years ago - on February 11, 2007, a month and a half after the death of the former permanent leader, Saparmurat Niyazov (Turkmenbashi).
Over the past ten years, the president's biography has been replenished with many new facts. Here are nine of the most interesting ones.
1. There is a family - the spouse is not visible
59-year-old Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has never appeared in public with his wife. Almost nothing is known about her. At the elections on Sunday, he appeared at the polling station with his next of kin, but his wife was not there again.
The government website turkmenistan.gov.tm reports that the president was accompanied by Myalikguly Berdimuhamedov's father, Ogulabat Berdimuhamedov's mother, son, two daughters and grandchildren. A photo of the president's family has not been released.
2. Became a successor on a tight schedule
Berdymukhamedov began to rule the country as Deputy Prime Minister on December 21, 2006 - the morning after the death of the country's first president, Saparmurat Niyazov.
Although, according to the Constitution, the chairman of the parliament, Ovezgeldy Atayev, was supposed to temporarily act as president for two months - without the right to participate in the presidential elections.
But he was suddenly arrested, charged with abuse of office, and later sent to prison for five years.
On December 26, an extraordinary congress of the People's Council was held, during which presidential elections were called and amendments were made to the Constitution, allowing the Deputy Prime Minister to act as president and to participate in elections.
In his first presidential election in 2007, Berdymukhamedov received 89.23% of the popular vote. In 2012, he improved the result to 97.14% - it would seem that there is nowhere better.
But in 2017, it turned out a little more. Now, according to the amendments to the Constitution of Turkmenistan made in September 2016, the next elections will be held in seven years.
4. Worst among the worst
In 2010, the President of Turkmenistan became one of the five worst dictators in the world according to Foreign Policy magazine.
Human rights defenders from Human Right Watch and other international organizations regularly report on the harassment of civilian activists and oppositionists, whose traces have disappeared in the prisons of Turkmenistan.
Today Turkmenistan is one of the most closed and totalitarian countries in the world. In the rating of Freedom House at the end of 2016, the country was in the ten worst, along with North Korea, Syria, Somalia and Sudan.
5. Took control of 80% of the country's oil and gas revenues
“The personal pocket of the president (Berdymukhamedov): oil, gas and the law” was the title of the report of the American research organization Crude Accountability on the situation in Turkmenistan, published in October 2011.
The document said that Berdymukhamedov personally disposed of the country's rich energy reserves.
The authors of the report came to the conclusion that over four years the new leader of the country has gradually given exclusive powers to the State Agency for the Management and Use of Hydrocarbon Resources under the President of Turkmenistan, on which all activities related to the sale of oil and gas are closed.
The precedent for "manual management" of the country's most profitable branch of the economy was created by Niyazov, who, according to the Eurasianet.org news agency, personally approved all tenders and licenses in the energy sector in 1997.
Most of all, researchers from Crude Accountability were surprised by the fact that, according to Turkmen laws, only 20% of revenues from oil and gas exports went to the state budget. The other 80% were controlled by the same agency, which was not even obliged to report on them.
6. Created the cult of Arkadag instead of the cult of Turkmenbashi
In July 2008, Berdymukhamedov returned the country to the normal names of the months and days of the week.
His predecessor tried to write himself in history by renaming the names of the months: January - in Turkmenbashi, April - in Gurbansoltan (Niyazov's mother - Ed.), September - in Rukhnama (his philosophical work).
The new names were used only in documents and office work, with the return to the usual Gregorian calendar, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
However, they rejoiced early: the debunking of one cult turned into the creation of another - the cult of Arkadag (the patron saint of the nation). So Berdymukhamedov began to be called since 2010, since then the unofficial title has firmly entrenched him.
7. Helped cut out the tumor, wrote a book
The second president of Turkmenistan is a dentist by profession, he graduated from graduate school in Moscow, 20 years after university he made an enviable career in this field.
By the time of his appointment as Minister of Health in 1997, he was director of the Dental Center of the Ministry of Health of Turkmenistan.
Later he became Deputy Prime Minister, responsible for education, science, culture and media. Already at the presidency in 2007, he received the degree of Doctor of Medical Sciences and the title of professor.
In 2009, the leader of the nation assisted in an operation to remove a benign tumor behind the ear. This happened during the grand opening of the oncological center in Ashgabat.
And the book he wrote about medicinal plants in Turkmenistan was recommended as a guide to all health workers.
8. Chief horse breeder
Among other titles of the current president is the People's Horse Breeder of Turkmenistan. His passion is horses, and one of his books entitled "Akhal-Teke is our pride and glory" is also dedicated.
In April 2013, the leader of the nation, a skilled rider, fell from his horse while racing. Later, the security forces made a lot of efforts to prevent the spread of information about the incident, but this video is still available on YouTube.
It was reported that the presidential horse stumbled right after crossing the finish line, so that, despite the fall, Berdymukhamedov still won those races.
The President of Turkmenistan generally loves to win competitions. For example, one day he came to the opening of a car race, suddenly decided to participate - and finished first.
9. Writes songs and sings
During a meeting with voters in the Akhal region on January 30, the president, answering a question about what he was doing, replied that he was working on songs for women who wanted to present them on March 8, International Women's Day.
Then the head of Turkmenistan was captured with a guitar, fervently and with feeling he sang a song to his own accompaniment, thus responding to the musical greeting of young voters.
