President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has been absent in Turkmenistan's media space for eight days.
The latest television broadcast featuring the head of state after a nineday absence was on 24 July. The state information agency TDH reported that despite the annual leave, which started on 15 July, the head of the state is demonstrating strong commitment to spending his free time efficiently and productively.
It should be emphasized that during his summer break last year, TDH provided a detailed coverage of what the head of state was engaged in during his annual leave. This year, however, there has been almost no information about what the President was doing.
Below is the chronology of the President's absence:
On 5 July 5 President Berdymukhammedov held an extended session of the Cabinet of Ministers, which was followed by his 10day absence without explaining any reasons. Later the same day, according to correspondents of Chronicles of Turkmenistan, the motorway, connecting the airport in the city of Turkmenbashi with the health resort Avaza where the President usually spends his holidays was under repair in an emergency mode.
On 15 July Turkmenistan's staterun television announced that the President started his annual leave which will last from 15 July until 15 August. Moreover, a broadcast was shown on television featuring Berdymukhammedov working on the 11th volume of the reference book Medicinal herbs of Turkmenistan.
On 20 July media outlets spread reports on Berdymukhammedov's alleged death.
On 21 July sources of Chronicles of Turkmenistan reported that the President's mother had been in critical condition in Germany for 10 days. The news outlet Gundogar found out that on 12 July one of the Presidential Boeing planes was detected at the airport of Nuremberg.
On 23 July the source which spread the reports on the President's death refuted this information.
On 24 July, for the first time in 9 years, Berdymukhammedov appearedon television. The head of state met with the khyakim of Ashgabat and approved some construction projects scheduled to be built in Ashgabatcity.
Since that moment there have been no reports pertaining to Berdymukhammedov's condition or his whereabouts. On 28 July, however, the state television showed a broadcast featuring members of the government and the Parliament recreating in Avaza, doing their exercise or playing volleyball. The President used to be in charge of that but he was missing in the video footage.
Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan