Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow vs Mullah Baradar

Berdimuhamedow reversed Niyazov's closure of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences, reopening the institution. This was part of a broader effort to restore some educational and scientific institutions that had been dismantled under his predecessor.

Following the death of President Saparmurat Niyazov, Berdimuhamedow won the presidential election with 89% of the vote. He succeeded Niyazov as the second president of independent Turkmenistan, inheriting a highly authoritarian system.

Berdimuhamedow presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the TAPI pipeline in Mary, Turkmenistan. The project aimed to export Turkmen natural gas to South Asia, but faced security and financing challenges, with construction repeatedly delayed.

Berdimuhamedow awarded himself the title 'Hero of Turkmenistan' for the third time, along with other state honors. This was part of an ongoing personality cult that included statues, official songs, and renaming of places after him.

Berdimuhamedow resigned as president, triggering a snap election won by his son Serdar. He then became Chairman of the People's Council (Halk Maslahaty), a newly empowered body that retained him as the 'national leader' with significant influence over policy.

Mullah Baradar, alongside Mullah Omar, co-founded the Taliban movement in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The group emerged from madrassas and aimed to impose a strict interpretation of Islamic law, eventually capturing Kabul in 1996.

Baradar, as head of the Taliban's political office in Doha, signed the agreement with the United States. The deal outlined the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in exchange for Taliban security guarantees and a commitment to peace talks with the Afghan government.

Following the US withdrawal, Baradar led the Taliban's rapid military offensive that culminated in the capture of Kabul on August 15, 2021. The takeover ended the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and restored Taliban rule.