Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow
| Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 2nd President of Turkmenistan | |
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Assumed office 21 December 2006 Acting to 14 February 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Saparmurat Niyazov |
| Leader of the Democratic Party | |
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In office 21 December 2006 – 18 August 2013 Acting: 21 December 2006 – 4 August 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Saparmurat Niyazov |
| Succeeded by | Kasymguly Babaev |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Turkmenistan | |
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In office 1 March 2001 – 14 February 2007 |
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| President | Saparmurat Niyazov |
| Preceded by | Yevgeny Zemskov |
| Succeeded by | Raşit Meredow |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
29 June 1957 Babarab, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union |
| Political party |
Democratic Party (Before 2013) Independent (2013–present) |
| Alma mater | Turkmen State Medical Institute |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Gurbanguly Mälikgulyýewiç Berdimuhamedow (born June 29, 1957) is a Turkmen politician who has served as the President of Turkmenistan since February 2007. Berdimuhamedow, a dentist by profession, served in the government under President Saparmurat Niyazov as Minister of Health beginning in 1997 and as Deputy Prime Minister beginning in 2001. He became Acting President following Niyazov's death on 21 December 2006 and subsequently won the February 2007 presidential election. He faced no meaningful opposition in the vote and won by an overwhelming margin. In the February 2012 presidential election, he was re-elected with 97% of the vote. There are allegations that President Berdimuhamedow promotes a dictatorial personality cult in which he, his relatives, and associates enjoy unlimited power and total control over all aspects of public life. He uses the honorable title Arkadag, meaning "protector".
Berdimuhamedov was born on 29 June 1957 in Babarab, in what is now the Geok Tepe etrap ("district") of Ahal Province. He graduated from the Turkmen State Medical Institute in 1979 and entered a career in dentistry. He also received a PhD in medical sciences in Moscow. By 1992 he had become part of the dentistry faculty at the Medical Institute.
In 1995, during the rule of Saparmurat Niyazov, Berdimuhamedov became head of the dentistry center of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry. He was appointed to the government as Minister of Health in 1997, and he was additionally appointed as Deputy Prime Minister in 2001. In April 2004, Niyazov suspended Berdimuhamedov's salary for three months because healthcare workers were also not being paid.
The Health Ministry was responsible for carrying out Niyazov's notorious order to close all hospitals outside of the capital city and major regional towns in 2005.
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