Turkmenistan as the first president for 15 years after independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Turkmen media referred to Niyazov using the title His Excellency Saparmyrat Türkmenbasy, President of Turkmenistan and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers. His self-given title Türkmenbasy, meaning Head of the Turkmen or the Leader of all Turkmen, referred to his position as the founder