Today, the first meeting of the Association "Turkmen Alabai" was held in Ashgabat, the agenda of which included organizational issues, priority tasks of the Association created for the development of breeding, preservation and multiplication of this unique Turkmen dog breed, its popularization in the world, the state news Agency of Turkmenistan reports.

The Association "Turkmen Alabai" was established on May 1 at a meeting held at the Turkmen agricultural University, where its Charter was approved, the head was elected and the control and audit Commission of this Association was formed.

Addressing the audience, the Chairman of the Association Serdar Berdimuhamedov stressed that the Alabai were not just assistants and reliable guards, but also loyal friends of the Turkmen for thousands of years. Today, they are an integral part of the rich cultural heritage of the Turkmen people, which we must preserve and pass on to future generations, as our ancestors did.

Organizational issues were considered during the meeting. Private dog breeder Annageldi Yazmyradov was unanimously elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Association, and the Executive Secretary was also elected. New members have been admitted to the organization. Velayat and Ashgabad branches of the Association were established and their heads were elected.

The emblem of the Association was approved, depicting Alabai, who has always been known as a loyal friend and a brave defender, with whom you can feel safe.

Turkmens have always valued Alabai for his loyalty. Irreconcilable to the enemy, having no equal as a watchdog, as the Turkmen shepherds know very well, Alabai proudly protected his master and everything around him – home, family and, most importantly, children.

Thus, Alabai became the personification of boundless affection, trust and friendship, and these key concepts are embedded in the emblem of the Association. It is no accident that Alabai was also the official mascot of the V Asian indoor and martial arts games, which were successfully held in Ashgabat in 2017.

On behalf of all Turkmen citizens, the participants expressed their gratitude to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for taking care to preserve the national traditions of dog breeding as part of the rich cultural heritage, as well as the important steps being taken to further develop and popularize Alabai.

Among them is the complex of buildings of the "Turkmen Alabai" economic society, erected in the Ak Bugday etrap of the Akhal velayat. The Grand opening of this specialized kennel, where they professionally breed dogs of the legendary breed, took place in September 2019 with the participation of Serdar Berdimuhamedov, marked the beginning of systematic activities for the development of the famous breed at the modern level.

This is the first complex of this kind in Turkmenistan, designed for the maintenance of 40 adults and 30 puppies. The infrastructure of the specialized kennel, which covers an area of 1 hectare, provides everything necessary for the comfortable maintenance of large dogs and their breeding.