"We will build a golden statue of me in Ashgabat. It will rotate with the sun."

"I have ordered that all the deserts in the country be irrigated and turned into fertile land. It is for our agriculture."

"The Turkmen national anthem is the most beautiful anthem in the world. It is a work of art."

"I have banned opera and ballet. They are not Turkmen. We need our own national art."

"If I am to choose between a television and a book, I will take the book."