A screen grab of Turkmen television showing Niyazov's funeral in December and is portrait in the upper right corner (AFP)
July 7, 2007 -- Turkmenistan's state television channels have removed the portrait of former leader Saparmurat Niyazov from the upper corner of programs.
No reason was given for the move, but since Niyazov's death in December 2006, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has worked to dismantle some of Niyazov's personality cult.
Niyazov's portrait was taken off the masthead of state newspapers in February, and some of the many statues of Niyazov, erected from 1991 to 2006, have been quietly removed in cities around the country.
(AFP)