Batyr Ataýewiç Berdiýew (born 3 October 1960) is a Turkmen former politician, who served as the foreign minister of Turkmenistan from 2000 to 2001. He also worked as an ambassador.
Batyr Berdiýew | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan | |
| In office 28 July 2000 – 7 July 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Boris Şyhmyradow |
| Succeeded by | Raşit Meredow |
| Turkmen Ambassador to Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and the OSCE | |
| In office 1994–2000 | |
| Deputy Foreign Minister | |
| In office 1992–1994 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Batyr Ataýewiç Berdiýew 3 October 1960 Ashkhabad, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union |
Political career
editFrom 1990 to 1991, he was a correspondent for the Soyuz and Zhizn newspapers, which are publications of the Foreign Affairs ministry of Soviet Turkmenistan. From 1992 to 1994, he served as deputy foreign minister.[1] From 1994 to 2000, Batyr Berdiýew was the ambassador of Turkmenistan to Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. From 28 July 2000 to 7 July 2001, Berdiýew served as foreign minister of Turkmenistan, but was dismissed for alcoholism,[2] poor knowledge of the native language Turkmen, a weakness for women, and failure to understand the problems of the Caspian and Aral Seas and Afghanistan. Later, he was replaced by Raşit Meredow at the request of President of Turkmenistan Saparmyrat Nyýazow.[3]
On 8 December 2002, he was arrested for having a connection with an assassination attempt on President Nyýazow. In January 2003, he was convicted of involvement in the assassination attempt and received a sentence of 25-year imprisonment.[4] Opposition members of the assassination reported that Berdiýew was either seriously ill or dead.[5] Nothing has been confirmed, and his death is now regarded as a rumour. In a publication by the Open Society Institute, Berdiýew is listed as an alleged victim of a human rights violation in Turkmenistan by being allegedly tortured while in custody.[6]
Following Nyýazow's death, his successor, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, was asked about the fates of Berdiýew and alleged co-conspirator Boris Şyhmyradow at a visit to Columbia University in September 2007. Berdimuhamedow said that he thought they were still alive.[7]
References
edit- ^ "BERDIYEV, Batyr Atayevich". Turkmenistan Votes 2004. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Archived from the original on 16 March 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
- ^ "Turkmen President Fires Foreign Minister for Drunkenness". People's Daily Online. People's Daily Online. 1 July 2001. Retrieved 22 March 2007.
- ^ "July 2001". Rulers. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
- ^ "Index Be-Bh". Rulers. Archived from the original on 2 March 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
- ^ Brown, Bess (2007). "Turkmenistan". Britannica Book of the Year, 2004. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
- ^ Turkmenistan Project, division of Central Eurasia Project, project of Open Society Institute (24 January 2003). "Human Rights Violations in Turkmenistan" (PDF). Open Society Institute. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 July 2007. Retrieved 22 March 2007.
- ^ "Turkmenistan: Jailed opposition leaders Boris Shihmuradov and Batyr Berduyev are alive" Archived 5 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Vremya Novostei (ferghana.ru), 26 September 2007.