An Analysis On the Authoritarian Nature of the Turkmenbashy Regime

Authors : Selçuk GÜRÇAM

Pages : 37-42

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Publication Date : 2017-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The patrimonialistic or sultanic character of the Turkmen regime, as outlined in this research, the Turkmen leader Saparmurat Niyazov’s distinctiveness was determined in a way that also included his country’s social structure. Although the tribal social structure and the communist form of government were identified as the two historical roots of such a regime, this study focused on the Turkmenbashy era in order to narrow the scope of research and analysis. In this regard, the study began by sketching a brief theoretical framework based on Weberian analysis. The discussion then moved on to the “rentier state” and “rentier economy” arguments. The creation of civil society and the nation’s tribal nature were identified as a result of this argument. Finally, the arbitrariness of the interaction between Turkmenbashy and primary institutions was examined. The impact of the leader’s cult of personality was also evaluated in the last part.
Keywords : Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmenistan, rentier state, authoritarianism, patrimonialism