The National Leader of Turkmenistan embarked on a regional tour visiting neighbouring Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan just shortly after the EU-Central Asia summit in Samarkand. Another indication on who really is the…
Tag: Turkmenistan
The return of Turkmen gas to Armenia?
Armenia has a renewed interest in purchasing gas from Turkmenistan to reduce its dependency from Russia. It is not the first time they have mentioned this possibility, but Iran’s current good relations…
Marble and golden domes: Turkmenistan’s mosque building spree
Last spring, in anticipation of the Night of Power (Gadyr gijesi), a significant date in the Muslim calendar, four new mosques were opened in villages across Turkmenistan. This has become a common…
The hidden treasures of Turkmenistan (part III)
As we explored in The hidden treasures of Turkmenistan (part I) and The hidden treasures of Turkmenistan (part II), the Central Asian country has a rich heritage worth exploring and reading about. In…
ANALYSIS: Turkmenistan diversification of gas exports, from chimeras to pragmatism?
For years Turkmenistan has been unsuccessful in diversifying its natural gas exports, but that is slowly changing. In the last months, we have witnessed Ashgabat exploring new markets for its gas, reigniting…
Where is Arkadag?
Turkmenistan’s National Leader and former president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, has been missing for the past three weeks. His son and president has kept his agenda, traveling to Moscow and Tajikistan, as if nothing…
Turkmenistan looks to the Gulf
In the space of just a few days, Turkmenistan’s power duo of father and son have met with high-ranking officials of the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. Seeking additional investment for its troubling…
The Awaza tripartite summit, a lacklustre event
The much-awaited meeting of the presidents of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan finally took place in mid-December. For all the buzz of three Turkic, and more specifically Oghuz, countries meeting trilaterally, the outcome…
Turkmenistan joins the Turkic club, but at what price?
Turkmenistan will finally become a member of the Organisation of Turkic States. A much-desired prize by Ankara that has lobbied in the past for Ashgabat to join its project. However, questions remain…
Conscripts in Central Asia, a dangerous obligation
Soldiers in the Central Asian republics have to face worse dangers than enemy bullets or shells. Bullying, hazing, accidents, and psychological pressure are responsible for a large share of deaths and injuries…
No more antics as former Turkmen president passed baton to son
Five months after leaving the presidency, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has relinquished being the centre of attention in favour of his son. It would now seem like his public role is mostly limited to…
Turkey and Central Asian military cooperation: more than just drones
From arms sales to joint military exercises and cooperation agreements, in the last few years Turkey has stepped up its security links with the Central Asian nations. This has opened new opportunities…
The hidden treasures of Turkmenistan (part II)
As we explored in The hidden treasures of Turkmenistan (part I), the Central Asian country has a rich heritage largely unknown to the great public. In this second part we will explore…
New, and not so new, alternatives for Turkmen gas
In the last months, several possible export routes for Turkmenistan’s gas have emerged. Much welcomed news for a country dependant on its natural gas, and that is going through hard economic times….
Realising the potential of Uzbek-Turkmen relations
On October 4 Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov landed in Tashkent as part of a two-day visit to Uzbekistan. His counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, greeted him as soon as the Turkmen set foot on the runway….
Central Asian leaders’ meeting yields results even before taking place
On August 5 and 6 the Central Asian presidents are meeting in the Turkmen resort of Avaza to celebrate the Third Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia. A…
Turkey prioritises Uzbekistan in recent Central Asian tour
The Turkish Foreign Minister’s trip to Central Asia brought him to Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, but it was in the latter where he spent most of his time and where the more…
Another step towards dynastic succession in Turkmenistan
The appointment of the president’s son to new positions in the government reinforces the message that Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov wants his offspring to succeed him at the head of the Central Asian nation….
Homosexuality in Central Asia: A problem of social mentality?
Members of the LGBTQ community throughout Central Asia suffer unimaginable hardships. Each day they are forced to decide between living openly, which could lead to punishment and death under their oppressive regimes…
The hidden treasures of Turkmenistan (part I)
At the crossroads of the Silk Road, Turkmenistan has a rich historical heritage that is greatly unknown to the general public. The country’s isolationist policies and the limited number of tourists it…
Turkmenistan’s new book: a second Ruhnama?
Turkmenistan’s president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, completed his 53rd book on August 5th, and it was subsequently released to the public with a ceremonious exhibition on September 5th. Titled “Türkmeniň döwletlilik ýörelgesi” in Turkmen,…
Turkmenistan, the land of the rumours
The lack of reliable and verifiable information is the breeding ground for rumours. This is a phenomenon that is widespread in Turkmenistan due to the opaqueness of the regime. From conspiracy theories…
Reemphasizing everyday traditions in Central Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic
As most of the world has resigned to staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increased emphasis on rediscovering traditions, customs, and familial connections. The coronavirus has forced humanity to…
Turkmenistan, the Kuwait that never was
Turkmenistan is best known today for its eccentric dictator and a deep economic crisis that has resulted in shortages of basics foodstuffs, large unemployment and an exodus for those that can leave…
In the fields of wheat: an authoritarian obsession
The Central Asian republics have been shaped by the personality of their leaders since their independence from the Soviet Union. From Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Nazarbayev to Uzbekistan’s Shavkat Mirziyoyev, they all have developed…
Tajik and Turkmen migrant workers susceptible to ISIS
Coronavirus has introduced mass instability worldwide and can have especially dangerous political effects in regimes that do not acknowledge the presence or threat of the pandemic. Undoubtedly, coronavirus has had a significant…
Football in times of coronavirus
Sports, like many other aspects of everyday life, have come to a standstill in the world as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Football junkies have no other option but to re-watch…
Ashgabat, the apple of the regime’s eye
The latest developments in Turkmenistan as a result of the coronavirus have demonstrated once again that the capital, the marbled pride and joy of the regime, takes priority over the rest of…
Del zar a Nazarbáyev: las ciudades de Asia Central y sus nombres
Durante siglos, Londres ha sido Londres, París ha sido París y Roma ha sido Roma. A pesar de revoluciones, guerras y demás convulsiones, los nombres de esas ciudades se han mantenido igual…
What is in a name? The (re)naming of cities in Central Asia
For centuries, London has been London, Paris has been Paris and Rome has been Rome. Despite revolutions, wars and upheavals, the names of those cities have remained the same after evolving naturally…
Turkmenistan and Tatarstan, more than just a special relationship
On February 17th Turkmenistan’s new Minister of Industry and Construction Operations paid a visit to the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, part of the Russian Federation. This in itself should not…
A majolica façade: Central Asia’s fabricated political parties
In the last weeks, the Uzbek people have gone to the polls to elect their representatives for the Oliy Majlis, the lower house of parliament. The nation was able to choose between…
Interview with Carlos Hernández, a Spanish journalist inside Turkmenistan
Carlos Hernández (Madrid, 1969) is an award-winning Spanish journalist with a wide international experience. Recently he has become one of the few foreign journalists that has been able to enter Turkmenistan incognito….
Graphomania among the Central Asian leaders
It is not uncommon for politicians to write books. Once they have left the reins of power, one can expect them to write their memoirs in which they justify their past deeds…