Turkmenistan’s president further expands his son’s clout

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) — Turkmenistan’s autocratic president has put his only son in charge of the Central Asian nation’s energy sector. The move further expands his clout in a move seen as laying the foundations for a political dynasty. According to a report Thursday by the official daily Neutral Turkmenistan, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov told his son, Serdar, whom he previously appointed deputy prime minister in charge of economic and financial issues, to also oversee the energy complex. The president’s son, who had previously served as a regional governor, a Cabinet minister and held other senior positions, is widely viewed as being groomed to succeed his father, who has established a pervasive cult of personality since becoming Turkmenistan’s leader in 2006.