To cries of “Glory to the protector,” Turkmenistan on Thursday inaugurated Arkadag, a US$5 billion “smart” city, built in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, cementing one of the most extraordinary personality cults in the world.
His son, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, unveiled the city about 30km southwest of the capital, Ashgabat, during a grandiose ceremony attended by Agence France-Presse journalists.
The ex-Soviet Central Asian nation is one of the most secretive countries in the world, and access for foreign media is extremely rare.
Photo: AFP
The new city — not yet populated — is built in the foothills of the picturesque Kopet Dag mountains and named after Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who ruled the country from 2006 to last year, and carries the title Hero Arkadag, “the protector.”
“Glory to Arkadag and Serdar, glory to the Turkmen leader,” participants dressed in traditional Turkmen clothes chanted during the ceremony, which took place under a scorching sun.
The former president, who turned 66 on Thursday, remains the real decisionmaker in the country, observers have said.
Photo: AFP
Rights groups have accused Turkmenistan of channeling money from its gas profits to lavish projects promoting Berdimuhamedov personality cult, with little benefit for the population.
Arkadag, which is in an earthquake zone, would eventually have a population of about 73,000, Turkmen authorities have said.
The city is dotted with monuments including a sculpture in honor of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov atop an Akhal-Teke horse, his favorite breed.
Officials called Arkadag a “city of the future,” adding that “green” technologies were used in its construction.
An employee of the Turkmen Ministry of Construction and Architecture said that Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov had closely overseen the project and provided his “valuable recommendations.”
“Thanks to his efforts, a beautiful city has appeared on the land of our valiant ancestors,” the employee said on condition of anonymity.
The opening ceremony lasted three hours, involving national dances, horse shows and a fireworks show.
At the center of the city is the 43m statue of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who is a former dentist and handed the presidency to his son last year.
The statue is in honor of the “great son of the Turkmen people,” the ministry employee said.
Authorities said that “the best conditions” have been created for the future residents of Arkadag, the first “smart” city in the desert-covered country that borders the Caspian Sea.
However, despite the pomp in his honor, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov did not attend the ceremony, sending his son, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, instead.
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was making the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
“This was a truly historic day that will be inscribed in golden letters in the glorious chronicle of the independent and neutral homeland,” the Turkmenistan State News Agency said.
As the regime opened a new city in honor of the leader, it also announced that a new book had been published by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov — a sequel to his book The Meaning of Life.
It was already a “national treasure,” authorities said.
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