Juciy gossip... about Turkmenistan's president!

WikiLeaks' treasure trove of US State Department cables has provided a huge amount of information, most of which is being overlooked by media outlets as they are not as newsworthy as others. So unless you actually go on to the site, you can miss out on such hot diplomatic gossip such as the details surrounding the president of the former Soviet republic of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. Turkmenistan occasionally would appear in the news thanks mainly to the highly eccentric and often bizarre rule of its late supreme leader, Sapamurad Niyazov Türkmenbashi (the appended title meaning 'Father of Turkmens'... much like how the founder of modern Turkey was awarded the surname 'Atatürk' meaning 'Father of Turks'). Niyazov's crazy 21 year reign, which took Turkmenistan from loyal, constituent republic within the USSR to a 'golden age of independent neutrality', was marked with such crazy things as an evasive personality cult, a collection of fables and pseudo-historic tales compiled in a book penned by the 'Father' himself called 'Ruhnama' whose word became the centrepiece and ideological guideline of the country, the renaming of the months after figures like his mother, the banning of various 'non-Turkmen' elements... well, the list goes on. A champion of Turkmen nationalism, Niyazov had spent most of his life in Moscow with his Russian wife and therefore often showed signs of difficulty whenever speaking his native Turkmen language, despite him curtailing Russian cultural and language outlets and publications. Niyazov died quite suddenly in late 2006, to be later replaced by the former dentist Berdimuhamedov (rumoured to have been Niyazov's love child), who at first was quick to undo some of the more harmful aspects of Niyazov's rule. This including returning the previous (Russian-based) names of the months, restitution of pensions and the reopening of medical institutions in regional areas of the desert republic. All this showed signs that Berdimuhamedov would be a more enlightened leader than his predecessor. However, the early optimism for change has now died as the successor is now building himself his own personality cult and shows no sign of making further liberal reforms.

So why don't we hear more about Turkmenistan? Well, one word - gas! Turkmenistan sits atop of huge amounts of natural gas, of which Europe, China, the USA and Russia are playing out a modern version of the 19th century 'Great Game' in securing. So as to not offend the Turkmens too much, any reporting, let alone anything critical, is kept to a minimum. Nevertheless, here is what the US Embassy staff in Turkmenistan's embassy had to say about Berdimuhamedov. It surely beats any of the those leaks which labelled Berlusconi as 'feckless' or Merkel as 'risk-averse'.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is the 'decider'for the state of Turkmenistan. Since his word is often law, it is beneficial to understand what makes him tick and to know something about those closest to him, his family. According to XXXXXXXXXXXX, Berdimuhamedov is vain, suspicious, guarded, strict, very conservative, a practiced liar, 'a good actor', and vindictive (reftel). XXXXXXXXXXXX said that while he usually forgets something after a few months or a year, Berdimuhamedov never forgets. Our source described Berdimuhamedov as a micromanager. He said that the president signs off on work schedules for experienced doctors.

Our source said Berdimuhamedov is very clean and neat and requires all around him to be the same. XXXXXXXXXXXX When Berdimuhamedov became the head of a dental clinic, he insisted that the other men who worked there had creases in their pants. About 30 years ago, when Berdimuhamedov owned an old Russian car, he would leave it at home if it rained and take a taxi instead.

Berdimuhamedov apparently does not think all Turkmen are the same. He once told our source that the true and first Turkmen come from the area between Kaka and Baharly in Ahal Province. Other people are not real Turkmen.

Berdimuhamedov does not like people who are smarter than he is. Since he's not a very bright guy, our source offered, he is suspicious of a lot of people. Our source claimed Berdimuhamedov did not like America, Iran, or turkey, but likes China. (COMMENT: Berdimuhamedov probably views other countries in terms of what they can do for him and his country, rather than in terms of like or dislike. END COMMENT.) He also asserted that the president is not fond of either Uzbek President Karimov or Kazakhstan President Nazarbayev.

BORN OF GOODLY PARENTS
Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov's father, Myalikguly Berdimuhamedov, worked as a senior Interior Ministry officer in a prison guard detachment. He retired as a Colonel of
Internal Troops. In local public opinion, the father is rumored to be far more intelligent than his son. The president's mother was a housewife. The president's parents now live with their son in the official residence in Firuza Valley, which is 19 km from Ashgabat. His grandfather Berdimuhamed Annayev was the principal of a school in his native village of Izgant.

WIFE, MISTRESS AND CHILDREN
Berdimuhammedov is married and has two daughters and one son, Serdar. The oldest daughter is married to Yhlasgeldi Amanov, who is a representative of the Turkmen Agency for Use and Management of Hydrocarbon Resources for Europe, posted in London. His other daughter lives with her husband, who works at the Turkmenistan Embassy in Paris. A local Turkmen entrepreneur claims this daughter has a villa on the Cote d'Azure in southern France. There is a rumor among Ashgabat residents that Berdimuhamedov has a mistress, in addition to his Turkmen wife, who is reportedly very conservative. The mistress is supposedly an ethnic Russian by the name of Marina. She was reportedly a nurse at a dental clinic where Berdimuhamedov worked earlier in his career, and has a 14-year old daughter with the president. Berdimuhamedov's wife has reportedly been living in London since 2007.

SISTERS-HOUSEWIVES, SISTERS-TEACHERS AND SISTERS-BUSINESSWOMEN
Berdimuhamedov is the only son in his family of eight children. One of the younger sisters teaches at the Turkmen National Economy University; another, the youngest one, is a housewife married to a Central Bank employee. His second oldest sister, Aynabat Berdimuhamedova, actively exploits the influence of her brother

Berdimuhamedov has gone to great lengths to conceal information about his family and personal life from the public. For a public figure who tries to project an image as a renaissance man, whether it be author, surgeon, pilot, sportsman or statesman, the failure to cultivate a 'family man' image leaves a void that the public is ready to fill. CURRAN.

I love the comment that he would leave his car and catch a taxi if it rained. Wooow! Oh, for a dentist, he's supposed not bright. Go figure?! Anyway, if you forget something, just ask Gurbanguly - he'll remember.