Interview with the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan by a journalist from the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)

The National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, responded to questions from Seyyed Mohsen Hosseini, a journalist from the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), at the request of the Iranian side during his visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

– Distinguished National Leader of the Turkmen people, we are delighted to welcome you to Iranian soil! Your support and solidarity with the Iranian people at such a difficult time are deeply important to our nation and state, and the Iranian side is truly grateful to you for this. Iran and Turkmenistan are neighboring and fraternal nations.

Could you begin our conversation by sharing your memories of your meetings with the late Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and discuss their significance?

– Thank you very much! Since time immemorial, the Turkmen people have deeply cherished the bonds of friendship and brotherhood. Turkmenistan and Iran are neighboring, fraternal nations that maintain amicable and respectful relations.

As you have noted, the late Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei was an outstanding personality, recognized not only in his homeland but also far beyond its borders.

Our first meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei took place in the spring of 1998, during our visit to this fraternal country. At that time, I was serving as the Minister of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan, and that meeting left a profound impression on me. Exactly 28 years have passed since then. In 2001, I became the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers responsible for education, science, healthcare, and culture. Subsequently, starting from 2007, I served my people and my Homeland as the Head of the Turkmen State for 15 years.

In 2022, the people elected me as the National Leader of the Turkmen people and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan. Throughout my tenure across all these state positions, I have had the honor of meeting with the Supreme Leader of Iran.

During each of our meetings, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei consistently inspired me with his kindness and erudition; as a wise and perceptive individual, he always provided a wealth of valuable advice.

The Turkmen and Iranian peoples share a time-honored tradition of honoring elders and showing respect to the younger generation. Accordingly, he always shared his insights on politics, trade and economic relations, as well as matters in the cultural and humanitarian sphere that bring nations closer together. These meetings, held in the mutual interest of our two peoples who maintain deeply rooted, enduring bonds, yielded significant results.

Our acquaintance and communication with the Supreme Leader over many years have served solely for the benefit of our nations.

– You have shared your memories of the Supreme Leader. Could you elaborate on the most vivid moments that stand out in your memory?

– All our meetings were memorable in their own way. However, every time we met, the Supreme Leader, drawing upon the wisdom that “On Judgement Day, a neighbor is your support”, would say: “To us, you are not merely neighbors, but true brothers”.

In my view, all our conversations were of great importance. Speaking of politics, we frequently conversed about peace and prosperity, not only for our two nations but also for the region and the entire world. As you know, Turkmenistan is the only state in the world whose neutral status has been recognized by the United Nations three times. For this reason, we often exchanged views on maintaining peace and promoting sustainable development.

He also offered much valuable guidance regarding trade and economic relations. The Turkmen and Iranian peoples, and indeed Islam as a whole, share the understanding that if a person wishes to live a worthy life, they must build roads and construct bridges.

Reflecting on this, it is worth noting that over the past years, Turkmenistan and Iran have jointly constructed numerous highways, railways, and bridges. As the Supreme Leader used to say: “The true essence of this noble activity lies in enabling peoples to maintain a connection with one another”. In my opinion, this is one of the most profound and memorable aspects of our communication.

In today’s conversation, it is impossible to encompass the entire scale of this outstanding man’s life journey. He did an incredible amount for his people and their well-being. Indeed, the construction of bridges and roads serves to strengthen the bonds of friendship and brotherhood.

With the Supreme Leader, we frequently exchanged views on trade and economic ties that go back centuries, as well as on our shared historical and cultural roots. We also, of course, discussed the education and upbringing of the younger generation. Building on this, we maintain active ties with Iranian scholars, poets, and prose writers. The Institute of Manuscripts operates in Turkmenistan. In this context, we spoke about the importance of studying our shared heritage – this holds immense significance for us. As you know, today more than three million Turkmen reside in the Iranian province of Golestan. In this regard, the Supreme Leader and I frequently exchanged views on how to further strengthen the friendship and brotherhood between our peoples.

Our world-renowned poet and thinker, Magtymguly, rests in Iran. Our people have the opportunity to make pilgrimages to his final resting place. Together, we honor his memory and deeply cherish his poetic works. There are many such examples.

As I previously mentioned, during the 15 years of my leadership of Turkmenistan, numerous projects were implemented: the laying of gas pipelines and power transmission lines, and the construction of railways and highways. During our time working together, our annual trade turnover exceeded 5 billion dollars, consistently demonstrating growth of no less than 115 to 150 percent each year. Iran shares borders with other nations as well, but its longest border is precisely with our country. The border between Turkmenistan and Iran exceeds 1,500 kilometers. The Supreme Leader always emphasized: “Our border is a border of friendship and brotherhood”. This stands as a testament to what an outstanding personality he was.

– The fact that the Turkmen people hold our Supreme Leader in such high esteem and cherish his memory is a great honor for us.

– The Turkmen people have always regarded the Supreme Leader with the deepest respect. His guidance and wise advice were exceptionally valuable to us. During our meetings, we discussed virtually every issue related to human life – from birth to advanced age.

Naturally, we also touched upon questions of religion. As you know, Turkmenistan is a secular, democratic state; nevertheless, we deeply revere our faith, our time-honored traditions, spiritual values, and Muslim traditions as a whole. On this matter, the guidance of the Supreme Leader holds great significance, particularly for the youth. By the way, the Embassy of Iran in Turkmenistan is located right next to the Agricultural University. Regarding this, the Supreme Leader would say: ‘The Embassy staff tell me how well-mannered your students are – the young men wearing traditional skullcaps, and the young women with twin braids. This is the result of your commitment to your ancestral traditions, customs, and the path you have chosen.’ Of course, I want to emphasize especially that both our national culture and our spiritual, Muslim traditions play an immense role in this endeavor – the upbringing of the younger generation.

During our final meeting, the Supreme Leader asked me: “Brother, are you building a mosque and a madrasah?” He then went on to clarify his thought: “A mosque is the house of Allah, but the construction of a madrasah is an even more significant undertaking”. He placed special emphasis on the fact that erecting a madrasah is a virtuous deed that opens a path toward true spiritual wisdom for a person.

It was then that he said: “Brother, due to my work, I rarely leave the house. But when you finish building the mosque, I truly want to visit it”. All these moments reaffirm once again what a deeply thinking individual he was, possessing an incredibly broad worldview. After all, bridging political and economic activity with humanitarian, cultural, and religious endeavors demands colossal effort. As I have mentioned, it is our custom to honor our elders and show respect to the youth, and each meeting with the Supreme Leader left an indelible mark on my soul. That is precisely why the Turkmen people regard him with such immense respect.

– There is a photograph here from one of your meetings with the Supreme Leader. What do you feel when you look at it?

– If I am not mistaken, this photograph is from our final meeting. At that time, I was filled with a sense of joy over how fruitful our communication had been, and how sincere our friendship and brotherhood were.

However, each of us has our own earthly journey, predestined by the Almighty.

We will offer our prayers that the Almighty grants eternal peace to the soul of the Supreme Leader of Iran, and that paradise becomes his eternal abode.

– As you know, many complex situations have been arising globally in recent times. Thoughtful steps are required to prevent such phenomena. National Leader of the Turkmen people, what is your position and the position of the Turkmen people on this matter?

– As I mentioned earlier, there is an expression: “On Judgment Day, a neighbor is your support”. To answer your question specifically: during these complex situations, we kept our borders open and delivered humanitarian assistance. We did not stand aside. We pursue an “Open Door” policy. Turkmenistan, adhering to the principles of balance, equality, prosperity, and peace, is a nation that has thrice received recognition of its status of neutrality. Therefore, the Head of your State, as well as your people, are undoubtedly well aware of the just, peace-loving policy we implement today.

Summarizing my response to your question, I would like to note this: there are no winners in war. After all, a fired bullet does not choose its target – whether a child or a soldier stands before it makes no difference to it. That is precisely why, on the political stage, the Turkmen people consistently declare this position clear and loud everywhere.

– Moving forward, when the name of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the late Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei, is mentioned, what would you say?

– I will answer in a single phrase: his legacy continues.

– Distinguished National Leader of the Turkmen people, we are deeply grateful to you for expressing your condolences to the Iranian people at such a difficult hour, sharing our grief, and for your insightful answers to our questions.

– Thank you very much!