Turkmenistan leader quashes death reports by attending economic summit

Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov appeared in public Monday at a national economic forum -- which is perhaps most significant because he's been rumored to be dead for weeks.

Reports of Berdymukammedov's death have spread on the Internet and some news media. He appeared healthy at the conference Monday, where he delivered a 20-minute speech before meeting on the sidelines with leaders from Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Iran.

Reports of Berdymukammedov's demise came partly from the fact he hadn't appeared in public since July 5. He went on vacation 10 days later -- and Aslan Rubayev, director of the Center for Monitoring Eurasian Problems, then told Russian news outlet Govoritmoskva he died of acute renal failure on July 20. He later withdrew his remarks, saying they were unfounded.

Turkmenistan media later broadcast footage of the president on vacation, in an unsuccessful attempt to dispel the rumors.

Media is restricted by the Turkmen government, and Reporters Without Borders has ranked the former Soviet republic as the worst in the world for press freedom.