Turkmen media referred to him using the title His Excellency Saparmurat Türkmenbaşy, President of Turkmenistan and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers.

He gained this post after Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev had removed his predecessor, Muhammetnazar Gapurov, following a cotton-related scandal.

Niyazov and his wife, Muza Melnikova, who was of Russian and Jewish descent, had a son (Murat) and a daughter (Irina).

His presidency was characterised by an initial crumbling of the centralised Soviet model that in many respects was unsuited for a transition to smaller, separate states.

The Latin Turkmen alphabet consists of: Aa, Bb, Çç, Dd, Ee, Ää, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Žž, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Ňň, Oo, Öö, Pp, Rr, Ss, Şş, Tt, Uu, Üü, Ww, Yy, Ýý, Zz.

Additionally, numerous petroleum transportation projects were completed such as a pipeline from the Korpedje field to Kort-Koi in Iran.

In 1991 and 2001, Niyazov issued decrees making water, gas, electricity, and refined salt free to use for ten-year periods.

His renaming of months, as well as most of the days of the week, to Turkmen heroes, poets, historical events,[23] family members and himself was an unexpected development.

The new names came into effect with the introduction of a new labor law which stated that "the dates of professional holidays are specified by decrees of the President of Turkmenistan".

[25] Individually, Niyazov's father was awarded the honorary title of Hero of Turkmenistan in 1994 and in 2004, a division of the Turkmen Ground Forces was renamed after Atamyrat Nyýazow.

[36] In keeping with the predominantly Islamic nature of Turkmen society, Niyazov granted pardons each year on the Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Power) in the month of Ramadan.

Niyazov said:Let this humane act on the part of the state serve strengthening truly moral values of the Turkmen society.

This is my advice...[57]Niyazov promoted a policy of strict neutrality in foreign affairs, refraining from seeking membership in NATO or GUAM and almost ignoring the CSTO.

[59] On 25 November 2002, Niyazov's motorcade was fired upon at about 7 a.m. in downtown Ashgabat as he was traveling to his office from his official residence in Arshabil.

Niyazov claimed that it was an attempt at a coup, and as a result, the Turkmen government arrested thousands of suspected conspirators and members of their families.

[60] Critics claim the government staged the attempt to crack down on mounting domestic and foreign political opposition.

The authorities were unable to stop the campaign and the President responded by firing his Interior minister and director of the police academy on national television.

Niyazov later announced that surveillance cameras were to be placed at all major streets and sites in Turkmenistan, an apparent precaution against future attempts.

[citation needed] Niyazov became a substitute for the vacuum left by the downfall of the communist system, with his image replacing those of Marx and Lenin.

During his rule, Niyazov created a strong cult of personality around himself, which resembled the one around the Kim dynasty in North Korea.

Niyazov simultaneously cut funding to and partially disassembled the education system in the name of "reform", while injecting ideological indoctrination into it by requiring all schools to use his own book, the Ruhnama, as their primary text.

[76] The eccentric nature of some of his decrees, and the vast number of images of the president led to the perception, especially in western countries, of a despotic leader, rich on oil wealth glorifying himself whilst the population gained no benefit.

"[77] On the afternoon of 21 December 2006, Turkmen state television announced that President Saparmurat Niyazov had died of a sudden heart attack in the early morning hours at around 01:10 local time at his residence, the Türkmenbaşy Palace, age 66.

[78][79] One month prior to his death, Niyazov had publicly announced that he had been taking heart medication for the past few years for an unidentified cardiac condition.

Because Niyazov named no successor, according to the law of the Constitution of Turkmenistan, Öwezgeldi Ataýew, the Chairman of the Assembly, would assume the presidency.

Deputy Prime Minister Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow was named as head of the commission organizing the state funeral.

[82] Foreign news reports also claimed that Niyazov also suffered from ischemic heart disease and kidney failure due to being overweight and overindulgence of alcohol.

[1] Niyazov was buried in his ready-prepared tomb in Kipchak Mosque on 24 December at his home village of Gypjak, approximately 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of Ashgabat.

Prior to being moved to the village, Niyazov's body lay in state in an open coffin in the presidential palace from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

The Arch of Neutrality, the rotating golden statue of Niyazov, was moved from downtown Ashgabat to the southern edge of the city on 26 August 2010.