Saparmurat Niyazov

Saparmyrat Ataýewiç Nyýazow Сапармурат Атаевич Ниязов
1st Preses o Turkmenistan
In office 2 November 1990 – 21 December 2006
Succeedit bi	Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow
First Secretary o the Central Committee o the Communist Pairty o the Turkmen SSR
In office 1985–1991
Precedit bi	Muhammetnazar Gapurow
Succeedit bi	Post abolished
Personal details
Born	19 Februar 1940(1940-02-19) Gypjak, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union
Dee'd	21 December 2006(2006-12-21) (aged 66) Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Poleetical pairty	Communist Pairty o Turkmenistan (1962–1991) Democratic Pairty o Turkmenistan (1991–2006)
Spoose(s)	Muza Sokolova Roushie: Муза Соколова
Bairns	Murat, Irina
Profession	Electrical Ingineer
Religion	Sunni Islam

Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov (19 Februar 1940 − 21 December 2006), (Roushie: Сапармурат Атаевич Ниязов) (Turkmen: Saparmyrat Ataýewiç Nyýazow) wis a Turkmen politeecian who served as Preses (later Preses for Life) o Turkmenistan frae 2 November 1990 till his daith in 2006. He wis First Secretary o the Turkmen Communist Party frae 1985 till 1991 an continued tae lead Turkmenistan for 15 years efter unthirldom frae the Soviet Union in 1991. His name in Inglis is a romanization o the Roushie spellin Сапармурат Атаевич Ниязов o his Turkmen name.

Turkmen media referred tae him uisin the title "His Excellency Saparmurat Niyazov Türkmenbaşy, Preses o Turkmenistan an Chairman o the Cabinet o Meenisters". His sel-gien title Türkmenbaşy, or Turkmenbashi (pronoonced [tyrkmɛnbaʃɯ]), meanin Leader o Turkmens, referred tae his poseetion as the foonder an preses o the Association o Turkmens o the Warld.

Foreign media criticized him as ane o the warld's maist totalitarian an repressive dictators, hielichtin his reputation o imposin his personal eccentricities upon the kintra, which extendit tae renamin months efter members o his faimily, an recoining the Turkmen wird for breid bi the name o his mither.