Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Turkmenistan now has a national holiday in honor of its 'wolf-crusher' dogs
Turkmenistan is a Central Asian country surrounded by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and the Caspian Sea. The population of the Muslim state is just around six million and the capital city is Ashgabat, near the border with Iran. The country is rich in natural gas, which is the main source of national revenue. The reclusive state has been ruled by authoritarian President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow since 2007, who has been exercising totalitarian control over the country and people. His own gold-coated statue was built in 2015 at a major road junction in the capital. Last year, another gold-coated statue was unveiled, not of himself or any other person but a dog. The Alabai is a Turkmen-bred shepherd dog and is a symbol of national pride. Then, on April 25 this year, the first national holiday honoring the native dog was celebrated. The breed has been helping people of Turkmenistan guard their sheep and goats as well as their homes. It is surely a nice touch to show respect to their canine friend. In the meantime, people there seem to have been suffering from inflation and human rights abuses. What are the priorities to rule a country?
Enjoy reading the article and learn about how Turkmenistan’s dog breed is honored.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/turkmenistan-dog-national-holiday-scli-intl/index.html
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