Authoritarian Turkmen leader’s son rises in Foreign Ministry

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan – The son of Turkmenistan’s president has been appointed a deputy foreign minister, deepening speculation that the president aims to form a dynastic system of power in the Central Asian nation.

The appointment of Serdar Berdymukhamedov was reported Saturday in the country’s official newspaper. The announcement came a week after a parliamentary election that included candidates from three parties and independents, all of them loyal to President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov.

Results of the election have not been made public, but the newspaper said the president’s son won a seat with 91 per cent of the vote.

Since coming to power in 2006, Berdymukhamedov has established a personality cult that reaches all levels of society in the former Soviet republic, styling him as the country’s Akradag (protector).