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Jockeys perform with a horse during the ceremony inaugurating the new city of Arkadag - named in honour of Turkmenistan's former leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov - in Arkadag, some 30 kilometres (18 miles) outside the capital Ashgabat, on June 29, 2023. The reclusive Central Asian country bordering the Caspian Sea has been ruled by the Berdymukhamedov family for more than 16 years. Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, a former dentist turned autocrat, officially stepped down as president of the ex-Soviet nation last year and was replaced by his son, Serdar Berdymukhamedov. But the 65-year-old, known for his personality cult, bears the title of “Arkadag” (Hero Protector) and continues to dominate the country. (Photo by Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP Photo)
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