Turkmenistan: Berdymukhamedov Reprimands Interior Minister

Turkmenistan's top cop seems to be in a tenuous position. According to a report broadcast by the state-owned Altyn Asyr channel, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov is casting a critical eye on the job performance of Interior Minister Isgender Mulikov.

The November 17 report said the president rapped Mulikov for letting discipline slip at the Interior Ministry. It also suggested that Mulikov wasn't doing a good enough job to motivate security forces, noting that "political work" at the ministry was performed at a "low level."

Mulikov has occupied the top spot at the Interior Ministry since May. His predecessor, Orazgeldi Amanmyradov, was sacked following a corruption scandal. However, he was later appointed the head of the national police academy. Berdymukhamedov warned Mulikov that he would be fired if he failed to immediately correct shortcomings in his leadership.