Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan’s megalomaniacal president-for-life, Saparmurat Niyazov, proposed this week that the months of the year be renamed for national heroes—like himself. He suggested calling January “Turkmenbashi,” a word that means “leader of all Turkmen” and is Niyazov’s self-appointed title. The rubber-stamp legislature enthusiastically agreed, and insisted that April be named for Niyazov’s late mother, Gurbansoltan. Countless streets, cities, and buildings are already named for the dictator, a former communist who has ruled Turkmenistan since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. “This is a joke,” Ashgabat resident Bairam Orazov said. “It seems like he lives on another planet.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How military service works for K-pop idolsUnder The Radar All seven members of K-pop sensation BTS have now completed mandatory national service
-
The Week contest: Flight fraudPuzzles and Quizzes
-
Is Trump sidelining Congress' war powers?Today's Big Question The Iran attack renews a long-running debate
