President of Turkmenistan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of Turkmenistan
Standard of the president of Turkmenistan
Emblem of Turkmenistan
Incumbent Serdar Berdimuhamedow since 19 March 2022
Style	Mr President (informal) Distinguished President of Turkmenistan (formal) His Excellency (diplomatic)
Member of	Cabinet of Ministers State Security Council CIS Council of Heads of State
Residence	Oguzhan Presidential Palace
Seat	Ashgabat
Appointer	Direct popular vote
Term length	7 years, renewable
Formation	2 November 1990 (Turkmen SSR) 27 October 1991 (Turkmenistan)
First holder	Saparmyrat Nyýazow
Succession	Chairman of the Assembly of Turkmenistan
Deputy	Vice President of Turkmenistan
Salary	442,800 Turkmenistani manat/10,800 USD annually

The President of Turkmenistan is the most important leader in the country. This person is both the head of state and the head of government. They are also the top leader of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan and guide the State Security Council of Turkmenistan.

Serdar Berdimuhamedow is the current president. He is the third person to hold this job since Turkmenistan became an independent country in 1991. He became president in 2022. His father, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, was president for 15 years before him. In the 2022 election, Serdar Berdimuhamedow won with a large number of votes. In 2016, rules for the presidency changed. The age limit was removed, and the term length became seven years.

Becoming President and Leaving the Job

To become the President of Turkmenistan, a person must meet certain rules. These rules help make sure the president is ready for the job.

Who Can Be President?

Here are the main rules for people who want to be president:

• They must be born in Turkmenistan.
• They need to speak the Turkmen language very well.
• They must be at least 40 years old.
• They must have lived in Turkmenistan for the last 15 years in a row.
• They must have a job.

How a President Leaves Office

A president's time in office can end for a few reasons. These reasons are written in Turkmenistan's constitution.

• If the president becomes too sick to do their job.
• If the president breaks the country's constitution or laws.
• If the country's parliament decides they no longer trust the president.

If the president leaves office, the chairman of the Assembly usually takes over temporarily. A new election must then happen within 60 days. This has only happened once, in 2006, when the president passed away. At that time, a different official took over as acting president.

Where the President Lives and Works

The president has a special place to live and work. This place is very important for the country.

The Oguzkhan Presidential Palace

The Oguzhan Presidential Palace is the main home and office for the president. It is in Ashgabat, the capital city. The palace has many rooms. These rooms are used for important meetings with leaders from other countries. The president also signs official documents there. A past president, Saparmyrat Nyýazow, also had a private home outside the city.

How the President Travels and Stays Safe

The president travels in special ways and has a team to keep them safe.

Presidential Travel

For trips to other countries, the president uses a special Boeing 777-200LR airplane. This plane is painted in Turkmenistan's national colors. Turkmenistan Airlines provides these planes. When traveling in the capital city, the president uses a Mercedes-Benz S-Class car. Sometimes, soldiers on horseback ride with the car. The president also uses trains for travel within the country.

A vehicle of the security service in 2011.

Presidential Security Service

The Presidential Security Service (Prezidentiniň howpsuzlyk gullugy) keeps the president safe. This group was created in 1990. It reports directly to the president. In the early 1990s, it became its own separate group. Its main job is to protect the President of Turkmenistan. When the president visits other countries, at least 10 security agents go along to protect them.

The Presidential Security Service has different parts:

• Secretariat (for office work)
• Duty Division (for daily tasks)
• 1st Division (the president's personal guards)
• 2nd Division
• 3rd Division
• 4th Division
• Special Operations Regiment (a special unit)
  • 1st Battalion
  • 2nd Battalion
  • 3rd Battalion

About 2,000 people work for the Presidential Security Service.

List of Presidents of Turkmenistan

See also

• List of leaders of Turkmenistan
• Prime Minister of Turkmenistan
• Vice-President of Turkmenistan
• State Security Council of Turkmenistan
• Republican Party of Turkmenistan