by Kira Kramer
On 25 March regular Parliamentary elections were held in Turkmenistan. 284 candidates “fought” for 125 seats in the Parliament, including Serdar Berdymukhammedov, an incumbent Member of Parliament and the son of the President, whose victory was never in any doubt.
Over the past year Serdar has appeared in various events together with his father, and sometimes even instead of him.The President’s son not only received new titles and awards, but opens community facilities and also meets with Presidents and politicians from other countries. “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” observer Kira Kramer decided to explore the rapid career advancement of a potential Turkmen successor.
Turkmenistan’s President has four children one son and three daughters. In monarchies, to which President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov refers himself based on explicit symbols in his clothing, it is extremely important to have a son a successor and the bearer of the family name.
Rich biography of a humble son
Until autumn 2016 there was practically no information about Berdymukhammedov junior.The first information was available only 15 months ago when he was first elected a member of Parliament.
That was when his accelerated move up the career ladder kicked off, and in the run-up to the new Parliamentary elections where Serdar was re-elected, the newspaper “Neitralny Turkmenistan” published his biography.
However, some of its clauses raise questions.
Serdar was born on 22 September 1981 (aged 36). Married with four children.
In 1997 he finished secondary school in Ashgabat.Then he did a four year course at Turkmen State University of Agriculture and was awarded the qualification of processing engineer.
In 2001 he was employed for five months as chief specialist in Foreign Economic Relations Office of Turkmenistan’s State Food Processing Industry Association.In 2001-2003 he did his military service.
Then the newspaper says that in 2003-2008 he worked as chief specialist in the horticultural department, chief specialist in the department of non-alcoholic beer and wine production of Turkmenistan’s State Food Processing Industry Association.
Quite a weird name for a department.The explanation behind this activity was found in the media outlet KazExpert, which reported that “Serdar does not have any political ambitions to become the leader of the country.
He is more attracted to business.His father wished that his son would revive the Turkmen wine-making”.
Wine is produced in Turkmenistan but since nothing is known about its export, it is difficult to speak about the revival of wine making. However, after working in the industrial sector for a few years, the President’s son moved towards big politics.
From 2008 to 2011 he did a course of study at the Diplomatic Academy under Russian Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and obtained a degree in International Relations.
In the same period he worked as an aide to the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to the Russian Federation in Moscow.During these years Serdar, according to the feedback by his fellow students and teachers, was described as “a humble, responsive, polite and laidback person”.
Apart from the Russian Diplomatic Academy, in 2011-2013 Serdar did a course of study at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy where, according to the newspaper, he majored in European and international security. During the same period he worked as an aide to Turkmenistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva.
“Chronicles of Turkmenistan” sent a letter to the Geneva Centre to find out whether the son of the Turkmen president had studied there and what degree he was awarded.
The Centre refused to provide this information citing reasons of confidentiality.It should be emphasized that when it comes to high-ranking politicians, personal records are no longer private but public data.
If one takes a closer look at the website of this educational establishment, it becomes evident that the course of study lasts eight months rather than two years.
Upon completion of the course, from August to December 2013 Serdar was employed as head of the European countries section in Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Then he decided to drastically change his career and joined the oil and gas sector. According to the media outlet, from 2013 to 2016 he held the post of deputy CEO of the State Agency for Use and Distribution of Oil Resources under the President of Turkmenistan.
Such an agency is non-existent in Turkmenistan. The State Agency for Hydrocarbon Resources Use and Management had been operating in Turkmenistan but it was abolished in 2016.
The career of Berdymukhammodov junior in the oil and gas sector also ended, and he again returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.In 2016-2017 Serdar worked as Chairperson of International Broadcasting Department of Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This is quite a weird name for the department.According to the website of the Foreign Ministry and Wikipedia, there are three departments in Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Department of International Relations, Contractual and Legal Department and Department of International Information, not International Broadcasting.
It appears that it is impossible to find two previous places of Serdar’s employment as the names of the agencies have been incorrectly translated from Turkmen.
If this is the case it is interesting to note that Turkmenistan’s major newspaper could not correctly quote the names of agencies where the son of the head of the state was employed.
Regalia following the father’s footsteps
It is an open secret that the Turkmen President has numerous talents. The son is currently outperformed by his father but is moving in the same direction.
In August 2014 he defended his Ph.D. thesis in Turkmenistan’s Academy of Sciences, and less than a year later, in July 2015, his doctoral thesis and was awarded the title of Doctor of Engineering.
Serdar also heads Turkmenistan’s Martial Arts Federation. After the Asian Games he was awarded the honorary title “Honored coach of Turkmenistan” by Parliament “in recognition of his service and personal contribution to the development of Turkmen sports and improving its prestige in the international arena”.
In addition, Serdar also has the rank of lieutenant colonel.On 27 October 2017, on Turkmenistan’s Independence Day, he was awarded the medal named after the President’s father (his grandfather) “For Merit to the Fatherland” and was promoted from major to lieutenant colonel.
The award ceremony was broadcast by Turkmen television, but the information agency TDH did not include Serdar’s name in the list of award recipients.
Neither did it report for what merits he was awarded the officer’s rank despite the fact that no mention is made of the military career in his bio, only mandatory military service.
Public appearance
Now Serdar has become a member of Turkmenistan’s Mejlis (Parliament) VI Assembly. Despite the fact that apart from him there are 124 other members of Parliament, only his activities are covered by domestic media outlets.
Serdar’s name was first mentioned by media outlets in 2012 during the 2012 Presidential elections. At that time the head of the state Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov arrived at the polling station accompanied by his father as well as his grandson and son.
After that mass media kept silent about the son of the Turkmen leader, until 22 November 2016 when he was elected a member of Turkmenistan’s Parliament.
Judging by the footage which dates back to a year and a half ago, Serdar, whose profile was covered by all world media outlets in the course of one day, appeared quite uncomfortable in front of photo and video cameras.
Three months after being elected a member of Parliament, he was the Chairperson of the Legislation and Regulations Committee. Since then Serdar was officially presented in media outlets. Like his father, the son is shown from three perspectives: during official meetings, during meetings with members of the community and during leisure time.
Six months after receiving his MP credentials, Serdar held a meeting with President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov in May 2017 when Berdymukhammedov junior headed the Turkmen delegation taking part in the plenary session of IX International Economic Summit in Kazan.
Photo by prav.tatarstan.ru
A week later, on the “fields” of the Neva Ecological Congress Valentina Matvienko, Chairperson of the Russian Federation Council, who is frequent visitor to Turkmenistan and honorary citizen of Ashgabat, met with Serdar.
Even when Turkmenistan’s delegations are headed by other officials, official meetings are hosted by Serdar.This was the case during the summit of the heads of Central Asia states on 15 March when he met with President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, despite the fact that the Turkmen delegation was officially headed by the speaker of the Parliament Akdja Nurberdyeva.
Apart from foreign policy, Turkmenistan’s media outlets have emphasized Serdar’s domestic activities within the country.For instance, in September 2017 he awarded the prize winners of the Asian Games.
The photo features Berdymukhammedov’s son Serdar is awarding the prize winners
Then he opened a medical centre in the village of Dushak, Kaakhkin etrap. This was unprecedented as members of Parliament had not opened any construction projects before opening ceremonies were carried out only by President Berdymukhammedov.
Later the President’s son met with the voters of Akhal velayat.
Similar to the opening of community facilities, meetings of other Parliamentary members with their constituency are not covered in Turkmen media outlets.Moreover, apart from the speaker of the Parliament, media outlets almost never mention the names of other Parliament members.
As the state information agency TDH reported, participants at the meeting highlighted that “Serdar is a dignified representative of his election district who has earned trust by meeting with and talking to locals and showing interest in their lives and living conditions, listening to and taking notes of the residents’ requests”.
The same rhetoric is only used to describe President Berdymukhammedov.
The son’s toys
According to all rules of the Turkmen PR, state-run media outlets also reveal Serdar’s private life, telling about his hobbies which fully echo those of his father he does sports, likes horses and drives cars. Moreover, he is always accompanied by his father.
For example, in February TDH reported that Serdar together with his father went on a horse ride and discussed the issues of the forthcoming car rally.
Serdar not only attended the opening of the car rally, which was accompanied by the cross-country marathon and bicycle race, but was actively involved in the sports events. “The race was opened by the President who ran one section, handed over the baton to his son Serdar Berdymukhammedov and only then was the relay race continued by khyakims of provinces and the capital”, Turkmen media outlets reported.
It was at that time, on 26 February 2017, that TDH first mentioned the Turkmen succession although unauthorized for the time being: “in a dynamic pace after finishing the first section, the Turkmen leader handed over the baton to his son Serdar Berdymukhammedov, which served as a symbol of continuity of generations”.
Later the same day the President tested a racing car, accompanied by his son as a navigator.
Now Serdar only needs to start writing books and singing songs.
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During meetings with politicians or during large-scale events it is obvious by the behavior of Berdymukhammedov junior that he is far from politics and unlike his father, he is not interested in it.
However, whether he wants it or not, the PR campaign has already been launched.It is not difficult to assume how this campaign might end because which Central Asia President does not wish his closest family member to become his successor?