Murat Niyazov (born 18 April 1967) is the son of the late President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov and his wife Muza Sokolova. He is of mixed Russian, Turkmen and Jewish descent. Niyazov's father served as General Secretary of the Turkmen SSR from 1985 until 1991 and then President from 1991 until his death in 2006.