Awdy Kulyýew
Awdy Kulyýew served as the first Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan. A former diplomat, he was Soviet chargé d'affaires to Oman and Qatar. He resigned as Foreign Minister in 1992 and left Turkmenistan, opposing the government of President Saparmurat Niyazov. The United Turkmen Opposition was formed in 2002 with Kulyýew as its leader.
He died on April 10, 2007 in Oslo, Norway, after undergoing stomach surgery two days earlier.
He was living in exile in Moscow as of August 2005 when Journeyman Pictures interviewed him secretly for a documentary about Turkmenistan. During the interview Kulyýew claimed that following the failed coup of 25 November 2002 many former ministers, members of government and business leaders were arrested and tortured in Turkmenistan's jails.
