Turkmenistan on June 29 officially opened the city of Arkadag -- a development started from scratch and named in honor of the current president’s father, who led the nation in an authoritarian, cultlike manner for 15 years before giving up power. Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, who ruled from 2006 to 2022, was also known as Arkadag (the Protector). He handed power over to his son, Serdar, in 2022. The “smart” city, designed for 70,000 people and costing billions of dollars to construct, is 30 kilometers south of the capital, Ashgabat. The vast majority of Turkmenistan's citizens live in poverty despite the country's abundant resources of natural gas. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service, click here.
Turkmenistan Opens Arkadag, The City Built From Scratch To Honor Its Former President
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