Niyazov's Ideology and its Symbolism: The Cult of the Leader, Nationalism and its Suppression of Critical Thinking

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article analyses the construction of Niyazov's regime, its ideology and symbolism. It is argued that Turkmenistan's strong emphasis on symbolism is correlated with the high degree of authoritarian rule in this state. Moreover, symbolism has been vital in the reconstruction of the two main metanarratives in Turkmenistan: Turkmen nationalism, and the cult of the leader—the Turkmenbashi. Domestically, the metanarrative of nationalism is further broken down within the tribal hierarchical division of Turkmen society, in which Turkmenbashi presents a particular tribe as the leading one. Several myths accompany the construction of the new Turkmenbashi ideology. The historical myth of Turkmen national superiority, summarized in Niyazov's code of conduct ‘Rukhnama’, features specifically. This article also suggests that a manipulative approach of absurdism was implemented in Turkmenistan by Niyazov's regime to secure acceptance of these new metanarratives and myths. Much like Orwell's ‘1984’, the regime's efforts to distort reality and history suppressed the population's capacity for critical thinking and action. As a result, people became intellectually confused and more inclined to accept the line of dictatorship and its directives. The closed foreign policy of Turkmenistan under Niyazov further contributed to the significantly deteriorated sociopolitical standing of this ex-Soviet Central Asian state.