Turkmenistan president fires minister over poor parenting

Ashgabat -Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has fired the country's energy and industry minister at a general ministerial meeting over poor parenting skills, Turkmen television reported.

President Berdymukhamedov dismissed Yarmukhammet Orazgulyev, citing the latter's poor rearing of his son, who was involved in a serious traffic accident with his fellow students at the Turkmen Politechnical Institute.

During a ministerial meeting, Interior Minister Isgender Mullikov brought up the issue of the accident and said children from high ranking officials were involved, including Orazgulyev's son.

Berdymukhamedov continued the discussion by saying that unfortunately many leaders do not give sufficient attention to the rearing of their children and their authority as a leader depends on how their children are raised and how they behave in society.

The Turkmen leader also added that as a rule poorly raised children fall into trouble and tragic stories like this particular accident which was caused by children of highly appointed parents.

Orazgulyev, who was a presidential candidate in the country's elections held in mid-February, sought forgiveness from President Berdymukhamedov saying he was "incapable of giving members of his family fatherly guidelines and instructions".

The head of the Turkmen Politechnical Institute, Khydyr Saparlyev was also fired while education minister Gulshat Mammedova and deputy education minister Geldimurata Dzhumagulyeva were given severe reprimand.