What is Saparmurat Niyazov?
{{unreferenced|date=December 2011}} [[File:Nyyazov in February 1998.jpg|thumb|Saparmurat Niyazov in 1998]] '''Saparmurat Niyazov''' (February 19, 1940 - December 21, 2006) was the first [[President of Turkmenistan]]. He served from October 27, 1991 to December 21, 2006. Saparmurat Niyazov also called himself Türkmenbaşy, which means leader of the Turkmen people. He tried to make a cult of personality, which means that he put many pictures and statues of himself around his country to make himself seem important. While he was president, Niyazov made doing many things against the law, such as growing a [[beard]] or [[ballet]] dancing. He died from a [[heart attack]] on December 21, 2006, and [[Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedow]] became the new president of Turkmenistan. {{bio-stub}} {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Niyazov, Saparmurat}} [[Category:1940 births]] [[Category:2006 deaths]] [[Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction]] [[Category:Presidents of Turkmenistan]] [[Category:Former dictators]]