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Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Mälikgulyýewiç and the family name is Berdimuhamedow.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow
Berdimuhamedow in 2017
Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan
Incumbent
Assumed office
14 April 2021[a]
Preceded byPosition established
2nd President of Turkmenistan
In office
14 February 2007 – 19 March 2022
Acting: 21 December 2006 – 14 February 2007
Vice President
Preceded bySaparmyrat Nyýazow
Succeeded bySerdar Berdimuhamedow
2nd Leader of the Democratic Party
In office
4 August 2007 – 18 August 2013
Acting: 21 December 2006 – 4 August 2007
Preceded bySaparmyrat Nyýazow
Succeeded byKasymguly Babaýew
3rd Vice President of Turkmenistan
In office
1 March 2001 – 14 February 2007
President
  • Saparmyrat Nyýazow
  • Himself (Acting)
Preceded byOrazgeldi Aýdogdiýew
Succeeded byRaşit Meredow
4th Minister of Health
In office
15 December 1997 – 21 December 2006
PresidentSaparmyrat Nyýazow
Preceded byChary Kulyýew
Succeeded byByashim Sopyev
Personal details
Born
Gurbanguly Mälikgulyýewiç Berdimuhamedow

(1957-06-29) 29 June 1957 (age 67)
Babarap, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union
NationalityTurkmen
Political partyIndependent (2013–present)
Other political
affiliations		TDP (before 2013)
SpouseOgulgerek Berdimuhamedowa
Children4, including Serdar
Parents
  • Mälikguly Berdimuhamedow (father)
  • Ogulabat Kurrayeva (mother)
Alma materTurkmen State Medical Institute
ProfessionDentist
Military service
Allegiance Turkmenistan
Branch/service Turkmen Ground Forces
Years of service2007–present
Rank Army general[2]

Gurbanguly Mälikgulyýewiç Berdimuhamedow[b][c][d][13] (born 29 June 1957) is a Turkmen politician and former dentist who is currently the Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan. He previously served as the 2nd President of Turkmenistan from 2006 to 2022, when he entered into a power-sharing arrangement with his son, Serdar, the current president.[14][15][1]

As a former dentist, Berdimuhamedow served in the government of the president, Saparmyrat Niyazow, as the Minister of Health in 1997 and as the 3rd Vice President in 2001. He became acting president following Niyazow's death on 21 December 2006 and subsequently won the 2007 presidential election. He faced no meaningful opposition and won by an overwhelming margin with 89% of the vote.[16] In 2012, he was re-elected for a second term with 97% of the vote and he was re-elected again in 2017 with 97.7% of the vote.[17][18] He was among the candidates elected to the People's Council of Turkmenistan on 28 March 2021, as a member from Ahal Region.[19] He reportedly received 100% of votes from the electors.[20] On 14 April 2021, he was unanimously elected chairman of the People's Council, the upper chamber of the Turkmen parliament.[21][22]

Like his predecessor, Berdimuhamedow headed an authoritarian regime and is the subject of a cult of personality. Rights groups have described Turkmenistan under Berdimuhamedow as one of the most repressive countries in the world,[23] accusing Berdimuhamedow, his relatives, and his associates of possessing and exercising unlimited power over all aspects of public life.[24][25]

Berdimuhamedow stepped down as president on 19 March 2022, being succeeded by his son, Serdar, who won a snap election deemed as neither free nor fair,[26] making Turkmenistan the first Central Asian country to be ruled by a dynastic system in modern times. The People's Council was subsequently re-formed as the country's top leadership body in January 2023, with Serdar then reappointing his father as its chairman and granting him the title "National Leader of the Turkmen People".[1]

  1. ^ a b c "Turkmenistan's president expands his father's power". Associated Press. Ashgabat. 22 January 2023. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  2. ^ "President of Turkmenistan gets military rank of army general | Turkmenistan.ru". www.turkmenistan.ru. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Turkmen Assembly Discussing Political Future". Rferl.org. 26 December 2006. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  4. ^ "Acting Turkmen President Cleared To Run In February Election". Rferl.org. 27 December 2006. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  5. ^ "Turkmenistan Registers Presidential Candidates". Rferl.org. 28 December 2006. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  6. ^ "Turkmenistan country profile – Overview". BBC News. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  7. ^ "Asia-Pacific | Turkmen 'heir apparent' emerges". BBC News. 28 December 2006. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  8. ^ Than, Krisztina (9 February 2009). "Business & Financial News, Breaking US & International News | Reuters.com". Today.reuters.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.[dead link‍]
  9. ^ Greenberg, Ilan (27 December 2006). "Turkmenistan Limits Election to Soviet-Style Slate". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  10. ^ Chivers, C. J. (30 December 2006). "Turkmen Exile Urges Interim President to Step Down". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  11. ^ "Turkmenistan's interim leader crowned as heir apparent to late dictator". SignOnSanDiego.com. 26 December 2006. Archived from the original on 1 February 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  12. ^ "Turkmenistan: The Golden Age". Archived from the original on 17 April 2009.
  13. ^ "Turkmenistan: New President Shows Shades Of 'Turkmenbashi'". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 3 July 2007. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2007.
  14. ^ Pannier, Bruce (27 January 2023), PANNIER: A very Turkmen coup, bne IntelliNews, archived from the original on 3 February 2023, retrieved 27 January 2023
  15. ^ «Гурбангулы Бердымухамедов возвёл свою единоличную власть до уровня абсолютной монархии [Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow raised is individual authority to the level of absolute monarchy] (in Russian), RFE/RL, 25 January 2023, archived from the original on 3 February 2023, retrieved 27 January 2023
  16. ^ "New Turkmen President Sworn In". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 14 February 2007. Archived from the original on 15 October 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2007.
  17. ^ Turkmen President Extends Rule In Tightly Controlled Vote Archived 19 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (rferl.org). 13 February 2017. Retrieved on 24 February 2017.
  18. ^ "Turkmen president sworn in for second term". xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  19. ^ "Список избранных членов Халк Маслахаты Милли Генгеша Туркменистана" (in Russian). Central commission for holding elections and referendums in Turkmenistan. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  20. ^ "Turkmenistan's Authoritarian Leader Wins Senate Seat With '100 Percent' Of Vote". RFE/RL. 29 March 2021. Archived from the original on 31 March 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  21. ^ "Президент Туркменистана избран председателем новой палаты парламента" (in Russian). «Туркменистан: золотой век». 14 April 2021. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  22. ^ "Бердымухамедов избран главой Халк Маслахаты Милли Генгеша" (in Russian). SNG Today. 14 April 2021. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  23. ^ "Cult of personality: Turkmen leader gets park tribute on birthday". Reuters. 29 June 2015. Archived from the original on 12 November 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  24. ^ World Report 2014: Turkmenistan. 2 January 2014. Archived from the original on 26 January 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2015. {{cite book}}: |newspaper= ignored (help)
  25. ^ "Turkmenistan: Events of 2019". World Report 2020: Turkmenistan. 10 December 2019. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2020. {{cite book}}: |newspaper= ignored (help)
  26. ^ "Turkmenistan holds inauguration of new president (UPDATE)". Trend News Agency. 19 March 2022. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.


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