ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan: Turkmenistan's authoritarian leader launched an "unprecedented" anti-smoking crusade on Thursday, ordering the Central Asia country to rid itself completely of tobacco within two years.

President Serdar Berdymukhamedov said the "uncompromising" struggle against smoking would include a crackdown on "illegal importations of tobacco products and their sales, including shisha pipes and electronic cigarettes," state media reported.

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