Turkmenistan's President, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, has squashed rumours of his death by posting videos of himself striking bowling pins and rallying a race car around the 'Gates of Hell' flaming gas crater.
The autocratic leader had failed to appear in public since July 5, causing speculation that he may have fallen ill.
After an absence that sparked rumors he was dead, Turkmenistan's president returns to TV with a vengeance, riding horses, shooting an assault rifle, bowling, lifting weights, recording a song & supposedly driving a rally car around the Gates of Hell flaming gas crater pic.twitter.com/7VxCC9Zv1O
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) August 5, 2019
The videos, aired on state TV, show the president sitting in a rally car as it travels the rim of the 'Gates of Hell' gas crater in Turkmenistan. Another video shows him hitting three perfect strikes while playing ten pin bowling.
He is then cheered on and applauded by his entourage who are all wearing the same camo and white tracksuit with a backward baseball cap.
This is not the first time that Berdymukhammedov has appeared on state TV to portray himself as a strong, macho leader.
Earlier this year he appeared with his grandson in a rap music video dedicated to his horse and he has been filmed lifting weights in front of his ministerial cabinet, much to their applause and delight.
{"preview_thumbnail":"https://cdn.flowplayer.com/6684a05f-6468-4ecd-87d5-a748773282a3/i/v-i-9…","video_id":"92bf8968-e340-474b-a358-0b1b1f763c9a","player_id":"8ca46225-42a2-4245-9c20-7850ae937431","provider":"flowplayer","video":"UN Seals Agreement With Houthis to Resume Food Aid in Yemen"}
Another video shows him shooting his pistol from a bicycle.
President Berdymukhammedov is the second head of state in the history of Turkmenistan since it gained independence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1990.
According to Freedom House, Turkmenistan has a freedome score of 4/100 making it on of the 'least free' countries in terms of political rights and civil liberties.
Their website says that elections are uncontested and the president has a tight grip over the media output in the country.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
