Recent moves to expand Turkmenistan’s already comprehensive cult of personality threaten to leave the Central Asian nation perilously isolated.
The personality cult that Niyazov has developed since Turkmenistan gained independence in 1991 is reaching levels rivaling that in North Korea.
The oft-repeated mantra "Halk, Watan, Turkmenbashi," or "The people, the nation, Turkmenbashi!" is quickly being replaced by a new declaration of faith: "Alla birdir, Watan birdir, Halkymy Serdary bir," or "Allah is one, the Nation is one and my people’s Leader is one!"
Recent moves to expand Turkmenistan’s already comprehensive cult of personality threaten to leave the Central Asian nation perilously isolated.
The personality cult that Niyazov has developed since Turkmenistan gained independence in 1991 is reaching levels rivaling that in North Korea.
The oft-repeated mantra "Halk, Watan, Turkmenbashi," or "The people, the nation, Turkmenbashi!" is quickly being replaced by a new declaration of faith: "Alla birdir, Watan birdir, Halkymy Serdary bir," or "Allah is one, the Nation is one and my people’s Leader is one!"