TIHR Authors

for arranging and the holding of the A new shuffle (16 January 2009)Maslakhat, were likely to have received hard- On Thursday 15 January, an extended sittinghitting critique from the President; however, if of the Cabinet of Ministers was held inthis was so, this stayed off camera. Ashgabat to sum up the outcomes of 2008. Several high-ranking officials were dismissedUp to 12 December – the celebration of from their posts.Neutrality Day – all of the adult population ofthe Lebap was mobilized to harvest raw Kh. Geldimyradov, vice prime minister incotton. Four months of mass working on the charge of economic issues, was removed uponfields – from mid-August to mid-December – his own request. He was replaced by T.did not bring about the expected results. The Djaparov, former chairman of the Supremeharvest collected turned out to be far less Chamber of Inspection.than that expected. Now the local authoritiesplace all hopes in holding the Malakhat of Brief summary (from TIHR archive):Elders at a high level in order to be somewhat Tuvakmammet Djaparov was born in 1967 inrehabilitated in the eyes of the President. the village of Uzynsuv (Balkan region). HigherForeign diplomats from the embassies will education. In 1993 he graduated from thealso be invited to the Maslakhat. Turkmen Polytechnic Institute with a degree in mechanical engineering. After completing hisYet, the building of the Rukhyet Palace is still military service in 1987, he studied at thenot completed. Finish works are still underway Moscow Engineering Construction Institute upin the three-store building of a total 16,8 to 1991 and then continued his studies in thesquare meters. The works on the Turkmen Polytechnic Institute. Between 1999accomplishment of the adjoining areas and 2005, he was a leading specialist in thecontinue as well. Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan. In 2005, he was appointed deputy minister ofThe Lebap administration received 2,5 months economics and finances of Turkmenistan.to complete the works. This means that during From February 2007 he acted as first deputythis time both the city and the entire velayat minister of economics and finances ofwill remain stressed. Again, «subbotniks» - Turkmenistan. Appointed to the post ofvoluntary work to clean the streets will be chairman of the Supreme Chamber ofheld and all the adult population, including the Inspection on 13.11.2007.senior school students, will have to take part. In addition, the President dismissed G.However, most of Turkmenabat`s citizens Kakalyev, Minister of Social Security; R.think that khyakims of the velayat and the city Khodjagurbanov, Minister of Communications;will retain their offices for a long time. G. Annaveliyev, Minister of Energy and Industry; B. Kerimov, Chairman of the State100 Committee on Tourism and Sports; G. Tashliev, chairman of the Turkmennebit State Concern; S. Djumaev, chairman of the Turkmengeologia State Corporation and A. Mukhadov, chairman of the Turkmenpagta State Concern. As expected, the appointments to the vacant posts will be reported soon. The heads of the region have also been affected. As we predicted in early January, Ch. Odeberdiev, khyakim of the Lebap velayat, was dismissed due to shortcomings in his

performance. He was replaced by Ya. Yaiylov, The last of the Mohicans (23 Januaryformer khyakim of the Atamurat etrap. 2009)The President imposed administrative Following the changes in the composition ofpenalties on the khyakim of the Akhal velayat the Turkmen government during the past 7(M. Nurmamedov), Balkan velayat (O. days, only 3 ministers appointed by S. NiyazovNiyazlyev), Dashoguz velayat (S. Ashirov) and remained in their posts as members of theMary velayat (K. Gurbanov). The President Cabinet, excluding the head of therequired them to employ immediate measures government himself - G. Berdymukhamedovto eliminate shortcomings, catch up for the who was appointed by the Minister of Healthtime lost in the implementation of activities Care and Medical Industry back in 1997.planned in areas of urban and ruralinfrastructure development; development of The following officials remained in the Cabinetsocial, transport and communication sphere of Ministers:and ensure an unhindered and continuous - Minister of Agriculture – Esenmyratimplementation of the agricultural activities. Orazgeldiev who has been in office sinceIt appears that the President was unhappy January 2006;with the results of the past year. - Minister of Environment - MakhtumkuliAt the same time, at least four of the officials Akmyradov appointed in March 2005;out of those dismissed today were appointed - Minister of Foreign Affairs – Rashid Meredovby S. Niyazov. From 2005 Gurbandurdy who has been heading the Foreign MinistryKakalyev was the first deputy of the social since July 2001.security minister; Resulberdy Khodjagurbanovwas appointed communications minister in The latter was considered by many as the2001; Garyagdy Tashliev acted as state most probable candidate for the presidentialminister - chairman of the Turkmennebit State post after S. Niyazov`s death. However, thisConcern; Khodjamyrat Geldimyradov was did not happen.appointed minister of economics and financesin 2005. Now, R. Meredov is in fact blacklisted. On 15 January, his deputy Khoshgeldi Babayev was101 dismissed who was the long-standing negotiator from Turkmenistan on the issue of determining the status of the Caspian Sea. «In arrears, his job did not lead to any improvements in solving this issue», said the President when firing the second most important person in the Turkmen Foreign Ministry. A poor yield which regularly occurs on the agricultural fields of the country has so far not affected E. Orazgeldiyev who is in charge of this area. However, in March 2009, a large meeting of the Elderly Council will be held which will discuss the agricultural reforms. It can be assumed that the current agricultural minister will not be dismissed until this sitting. Inspections launched by the Prosecutor’s Office are taking place in all ministries. These are likely to have occurred in the Ministry of Environment as well. Yet, this post is insignificant in the hierarchy of the Turkmen

authorities. Therefore, it is hard to predict the institutions, «blessed» by the stateprospects for M. Akhmyradov. commission.It should be noted that G. Berdymukhamedov Along with inspections conducted by thenot only gets rid of the officials appointed by commission, a presentation of the completehis predecessor. He has already dismissed set of works, authored by Berdymukhamedov,several ministers appointed by himself. is being held across the country.The process of establishing a team inTurkmenistan seems to be endless. Only a few All the events have been initiated by theindividuals from the President’s Presidential Administration.administration have proved to be consistent. It was noted already that during S. Niyazov`sA name to forget but methods to times the dissemination of books, portraitsremember (6 March 2009) and other paraphernalia does not just haveAn inspection of ideological symbols is propagandistic but also the most trivialunderway in Turkmenistan. Members of the purpose– material benefit. The entire countryspecially established state commission are was the market for such «goods». Students ofvisiting organizations, institutions and secondary schools and universities, the entireenterprises in the country and confiscating the adult population who had any sort ofbooks authored by the former great S. employment and even retirees had to buy theTurkmenbashi. books of the President. As a result, revenues from the sales were quite significant.The fact of silencing S. Niyazov`s birthday thisyear – a date previously of great festivities– According to observers, the experience of thecan also be attributed to the achievements of past has not been forgotten. Thethe same state commission. Administration of the present President is staffed by virtually the same people, who used«They confiscated every single book, including to work under Niyazov. All of these officials«Rukhnama»; every drawer was inspected», have interests in the publishing field, whichsays a kindergarten caretaker in the Balkan they do not want to disclose.velayat laughing. Based on this, the next steps of theTo replace the «Rukhnama», new books Administration can easily be predicted.authored by G. Berdymukhamedov are beingsupplied to all institutions and organizations. It was decided to place flowers on numerousAnd not only books but also portraits of the monuments of Turkmenbashi and his relativesnew President, stands and other visual aids on many festive occasions in Turkmenistan.devoted to him. All these renewals have to be And the flower business is also not alien to thepaid by the employees, organizations and staff of the Presidential administration.102 So it remains only to wait for the statutes of the new President. However, if these appear, the initiators will be driven not by patriotic feelings and affection towards the new President but expected financial benefits.

Tourists or Gastarbeiters? (25 March longer much money if compared to the wages2009) of migrant workers in Turkey or Russia.The number of Turkmen gastarbeiters inRussia is still not as high as that of Tadjik, A large flow of people, wanting to go abroadKyrgyz or Moldovan workers. Up until for work under the pretense of tourists, bringsrecently, the migration of workers seeking high profit not only for the state touristemployment out of Turkmenistan was not as agencies but also for some of theirlarge-scale as was the case in neighboring representatives. The latter are willing, for acountries. certain fee in addition to existing prices, to issue a visa in only a few days or to get a ticketRestrictions in the exit-entry systems between for the earliest flight, which is no longerTurkmenistan and other states, including CIS available through the Turkmenhovayollarycountries, and complexities related to booking office. These representatives ofobtaining a visa were accountable for this fact. tourist agencies manage to keep control everywhere, including the Russian EmbassyHowever, the flow of those leaving for Russia and the booking offices Turkmenhovayollary.is on the rise and those, wishing to avoid visaproblems, have found loopholes in the Those, who leave the country, are aware thatsystem, represented by Turkmensiyahat all expenses related to the visa, the purchasetourist agency and its regional branches. of the fairly expensive tickets, the extra fees for the tourist agents for «speeding up theThe mechanism of leaving Turkmenistan to process» of getting the necessary documentsearn money abroad with the help of the ready will be recompensed as soon as they gettourist agency is rather simple. A potential to the destination and commence working.migrant worker applies to the state touristagency in his/her velayat and the tourist agent Reports from Turkmensiyahat agencies showarranges a tourist visa for an applicant and a the numbers of our compatriots travellingplane ticket to Moscow or Istanbul for a abroad. The graph of travels to various statescertain fee. This is also very convenient as one is on the rise. According to the travel agencydoes not need to go to Ashgabat, queue at the of the Dashoguz velayat, in 2005 1804 personsEmbassy and then at the booking office. All is left Turkmenistan on a tourist visa. In 2006done instead by the agency; you only need to this indicator rose to 2380; a year later alreadypay! 3560 «tourists» went abroad. In 2008, this figure rose to above 4 thousand. WhenCurrently, Turkmen men are not very keen to multiplied to 5 velayats and add the city ofwork for Turkish construction companies Ashgabat, one can make a rough estimate ofbased in Ashgabat, as due to the artificial how many men and women left the country asdecrease of the dollar rate against the manat, tourists.$ 200-300 in wages paid by the Turks, is no A regular tourist visa is issued for a period of103 20-30 days. However, when the visa is expired, virtually nobody returns as required and instead stays on in Russia illegally. At the same time, almost on a daily basis, Turkmenhovayollary or Turkish Airlines flights bring deported Turkmenistani citizens back to Ashgabat. Below is a short story of a woman who was deported from the UK: «I went to England on a tourist visa and stayed there for almost 15

months until I was caught and convicted. However, the number of Turkmen «tourists»However, prior to that, migrant workers from is on the rise, thus the tourism sphere is beingKazakhstan helped me to buy a Greek developed. Yet, should this be considered anpassport and I managed to get legal achievement?employment in different companies, thusearning decent money to support my family in Turkmen peasants (3 April 2009)Turkmenistan. I even managed to buy an Despite the high-profile reform of theapartment in Ashgabat and make some agricultural sector, the Balkan velayat is stillsavings to pay for the studies of my daughter. focusing on growing wheat and cotton, and this has to be done not by peasants butUnfortunately, I was caught out and teachers, engineers, postmen and drivers …sentenced to 6 months. During this time, Ilearnt English, read plenty of books and even Due to several reasons, the land of thewrote my own book which I am going to Makhtumkuli etrap (Balkan velayat) ispublish some time… Upon my release I was unsuitable for growing crops. The lack ofimmediately deported to Turkmenistan. Now I irrigation water is largely accountable for this.am dying of boredom, the way to England is However, in Niyazov`s times, almost allclosed for me and apparently any other regions were obliged to grow wheat andpossibility to travel abroad as well. The cotton. Instead plots of land stretching alongmoney, earned in London, is almost all spent, the Karakum canal in the neighboring Serdarand here there are no prospects of a job…» etrap were given to the waterless Makhtumkuli etrap. The distance between theHowever, people continue to head abroad etrap`s center to these areas is over 200 km.despite all possible consequences and areready to pay and overpay in order to leave The peasants of the Makhtumkuli etrap, evenTurkmenistan and stay there as long as those who have no land of their own and arepossible. unemployed, are unwilling to rent these plots of land. No crops yielded will recompense theThere is a program on how to get rid of costs and time needed to cover the distanceloneliness on Turkish TV, similar to a Russian from home to the plot of land.program «Let`s get married!» Three girls cometo meet the potential groom in the studio and The khyakimlik officials found a way tohe is supposed to choose one during the cultivate these lands. The land plots weremeeting. forcibly distributed between the employees of the state-sponsored organizations. They wereTV viewers in Turkmenistan, whose satellite given the choice: «Either you rent the landdishes are tuned to the Turkish channel, and grow the crops you are told to and thenfollow this program with great interest, as you can continue working in youryoung Turkmen girls often go to the studio as organization, or you will be fired». Because ofpotential brides. The marriage brokers on thegroom’s side advise the men to be very carefulwith Turkmen brides as «they all just need tomarry a Turk in order to stay in Turkey!»«To tell you the truth, I am hurt not becauseof what the girls are doing but because ourauthorities have created such conditionsforcing these girls to look for any possiblemeans to go abroad and stay there …», says a50 y. o. woman residing in the north of thecountry.104

their fear of losing their job, the people had to The payment for the yielded crop – betweenagree, even though they had never worked on 2,5 and 5 mln manat a year – is received by athe land before. They are employed as person who is officially the tenant of the land,electricians, postal workers, staff of the i.e. the heads of organizations. The staff,communications center and a meteorological however, are conducting the work paying outstation, drivers and watchmen, bursars and of their pocket for meals and other needs onlyconstructors, engineers and even cultural in order not to be dismissed from their mainworkers. It should be noted that until 2007 job.exclusively educators were employed asfarmers in the fields. It sometimes happens that due to the family or health problems, people are not able to goNormally, a plot of land is assigned to the to the fields. In this case, a person has to hirename of the organization’s director, for a worker who needs to be paid up to 2 mlninstance the school principal. He/she is in manats. This money has to be paid by thecharge of the whole process then – informs person who is unable to go to the field.the staff about the dates of agricultural works, Therefore, people do their best to go inmakes lists of groups and schedules of field person, despite health problems and familyworks where the work in shifts is conducted, circumstances.i.e. one group arrives and the other leaves thefield. The following story was recounted by A., a resident of Yazgul village: «In our family onlyIn this agricultural season, the first groups of my husband has a job. In early October he waspeople were sent to the wheat fields in early sent to Serdar to work on wheat fields for 1,5October 2008. Due to the dry weather, the months. I stayed home alone with three kidsirrigation and fertilization period of winter and his mother who was unwell. My husbandcrops lasted longer than usual, so the people brought all the money and food products fromhad to stay on the fields almost until the mid- home. We had to buy food with creditDecember. Then, the workers were sent for payments (usual practice in rural areas whenthe second irrigation as early as January 2009 shop assistants sell goods to the customers,and these works are still underway. Now some unable to pay, on credit making notes inpeople are working their second turn in the special records books). During this period offields, some – their third. The number of trips time, he came home only once when he ranand their duration depend on the number of out of food. He could have bought it in thepeople in the organization. town of Serdar but he had no money. He spent almost 100 thousand to pay for theAs a rule, people leave for hundreds of ticket, took products on credit and left. It tookkilometers away from home for a period of us two months then to pay his debts off. At30-45 days. The work is not paid; nor are the end of February he was sent to the wheatappropriate living conditions provided. In the fields for the second time and he is not backfields, where these people are taken, yet. He has been working like this for manyeverybody has to survive as well as possible. In years in the Serdar etrap and he never got anythe best situation, they have to live in old money for his work. He is only paid by thedraughty cabins, which are not equipped with housing services where he works as a welder».any facilities, have no electricity or heating. Ifthere are not enough cabins, they build Sapargul Kh., wife of a constructor, is alsoimprovised shelters to live in. All the rest, disgusted with the situation: «My husbandnecessary for life and work, people bring from took everything necessary for work and life inhome: felt pads and bedclothes, gas vessels the fields from home: warm clothes, shoes,and cookers, food and drinking water, dishes felt pads felt pads and blankets. He is used toand work tools. doing hard work. However, the conditions there are particularly tough; they work105 without days off. The cabin is old; the wind

blows in from all corners. In November the As of today, engineers, teachers and healthnights were wet and frosty and there was not care workers are still on the wheat and cottonenough time for his clothes and shoes to dry. fields. The established system enables theMy husband got a bad cold. He spent a few local authorities to use the people under thedays with fever in an unheated cabin as he guise of the interests of the state takingdidn’t have any money to pay the car driver to advantage of their total lack of rights.take him home. He has not been home for 1,5months. The work they are doing there is Financial (and not only financial) issuesdirty; people didn’t even have the chance to (14 April 2009)have a shower during this time. We are happy Today, on 13 April the President ofthat he has come back alive». Turkmenistan signed decrees allotting over 1 billion dollars for the construction andHowever, at this point the problems, which reconstruction of specific objects. The sum isthe residents of the Makhtumkuli etrap are significant even for a wealthy state. All thesefacing, have not ended yet. In autumn 2008, objects are located in the capital. All contractspeople were forced to pay money for not will be concluded with one constructionhaving met the cotton yield target. company: Polimeks Insaat Taahhut we Sanayi Tijaret A.S.Dovletmamed D. says: «In November, thedirector told us at the staff meeting that our Last week, the same Turkish companyorganization had not met the requirements received contracts for a total of 170 mln eurosset out in the cotton harvest plan. He stated for the construction and reconstruction of thethe following: «Get cotton where you want. If objects based in Ashgabat.you cannot meet the target – you have to paymoney». We had to pay the director 1,5 mln The decrees signed today envisage themanats». construction of a stadium for the amount of EUR 179 803 783, a Palace of Happiness (EURLast winter there were rumors in the Balkan 101 697 837), an office of Emergencyvelayat that there would be no more cotton Management Center of Turkmenistan, aand wheat growing. Indeed, the President Military Institute, and military barracks for aproclaimed an agricultural reform. According total of $218 980167; roads and streets of ato the reform, this sector would be developed total length of 33,95 kilometers (EUR 185 031«with the regional aspect taken into account. 276). Also, the Nissa Hotel will beAs a result, the role of the Balkan velayat as reconstructed ($64 168 486), as well as aoriginally a cattle breeding region would be section of the S. Turkmenbashi Prospectstrengthened». where a monumental fountain will be mounted ( $41 102 264).However, as of today, the enforcementmechanisms, polished during many years of The President claimed the need to hold anpractice, are in effect in the Makhtumkuli open bidding while selecting the contractorsetrap. Positioning the employees of the state- for the construction of high-priced objects.sponsored organizations as peasants-tenants, Taking into account the fact that Polimeksthe local authorities, represented by khyakims Insaat Taahhut we Sanayi Tijaret A.S. wasof the Makhtumkuli etrap and the Balkan given 8 contracts for a total of over $1,2 billionvelayat, is only simulating the development of within one week, it is very doubtful that anymarket mechanisms in the production of bidding happened. Does this mean that, ifagricultural products. desired, one can proceed without bidding?Another question is whether the main The President also claimed the need toreformer of the country is aware of the actual develop the provinces. If «Avaza» (a favoritestatus of the «process of the agricultural baby of G. Berdymukhamedov located on thesector reforms». Caspian seashore) is not counted, the sums106

allocated to all construction objects in the beneficial in all respects. Moreover, one of theregions cannot be even compared with the interlocutors managed to receive the cars as amoney allotted for the capital. Can the gift.provinces wait? It should be mentioned that this event wasIf the President is not concerned with the treated by foreign experts as large-scaleglobal economic crisis, then the information bribery of a public official. The Turkmenon the planned 90% decrease in the purchase President subsequently announced at theof Turkmen gas (main item of income of the Cabinet meeting which was held on March 13Turkmen state budget) should have made him after receiving the gifts that he would handthink whether huge sums should really be over the high speed “cars” to the statespent on objects which do not generate any committee on sports and tourism. In otherrevenues. It seems that this did not make him words he referred to cars in the plural.think? Later on it was found out that three out ofIt appears that the Turkmen President (or his four cars presented to the President weresurroundings) aims to spend as much of the handed over to the athletes. It remainsbudget as possible within a short period of unknown where the fourth car disappearedtime. What is the point of all this? to.How Bouygues operates in Turkmenistan Yusup Ishangulyev, the chief of Presidential(22 April 2009) staff was held responsible for thisThe story about how the French-based embarrassing situation. According to thecompany Bouygues presented the Turkmen information received, it was Ishangulyev withPresident with an exclusive racing car and whom the Bouygues representativesimmediately offered their services in carrying negotiated the “value” of the gift.out much more expensive constructionprojects in Turkmenistan, was covered by us The former university friend of the Presidentand other mass media. from the medical Institute Y. Ishangulyev has been acting as an intermediary between hisThe photo shows a shot from the footage boss and Bouygues for almost two years. As adevoted to this event filmed by the Turkmen token of gratitude the French companytelevision. The CEO of CJSC “Bouygues covered the tuition fees for Ishangulyev’s sonTurkmen” Charlie Senter is demonstrating to at a European university. Furthermore,G Berdymukhammedov models of new Berdymukhammedov did not punish himfacilities, which Bouygues could build in the severely for his mistake, and after dismissingcountry. Judging by the expressions on their him from his post, the former chief of stafffaces, the interlocutors are pleased with the was appointed as a hospital CEO in the villageprospect of partnership which is mutually of Berezengi located in the Ashgabat suburbs.107 In the meantime, Bouygues is still successfully operating in Turkmenistan and is carrying out a dozen construction contracts to build expensive objects. Among these the company is engaged in building a Presidential complex in the capital with an estimated value of 250 million euro. It seems that the large profits gained by the French corporation are compensation for them having to put up with the whims of the Turkmen President. For instance, about a

month and a half ago Berdymukhammedov University in 1979. Holds a PhD in Medicalconsidered a nearly completed building of the Sciences. In 1997 was appointed Minister ofAgriculture Ministry to be too low (the the Health Care System and Medical Industryprojected height is 32 meters whereas the of Turkmenistan. Since April 2001 – deputyestimated value is 50 million dollars). chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers. Since 21Bouygues was urged to agree with this and a December 2006 - Acting President ofspecially designated commission is currently Turkmenistan.deciding what to do with the building whichwas scheduled to be commissioned in May Meredov Rashid - deputy chairman of the2009. Cabinet of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Born in Ashgabat in 1960. GraduatedIn another case the President thought that from the Lomonosov Moscow Stateone of the buildings, being built by Bouygues University. Holds a PhD in legal studies. In Maynear the Presidential Complex, is too high. In 2001 was elected chairman of the Medzhlis ofhis opinion the facility was higher than the Turkmenistan. In July 2001 was appointedpalace which is under construction. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.constructors were recommended to knock Re-appointed to this post on 18 Februarydown the two upper floors. 2007.Needless to say these “architectural Saparlyev Khadyr - deputy chairman of theamendments” are being implemented at the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan (inexpense of Bouygues. Yet, the French-based charge of education, science and health carecompany obeys, which means that the game is systems). Born in Mary in 1958. In 1982worth it. graduated from the Turkmen Polytechnic Institute in engineering. Holds a PhD inThe updated management of technical sciences. In 2004 was appointedTurkmenistan (21 January 2010) Minister of Education of Turkmenistan. SinceFollowing the established tradition, at the October 2005 - Plenipotentiary Ambassador ofexpanded meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers Turkmenistan to the Republic of Armenia. Inthat summed up the results of 2009, the February 2007 was appointed Minister ofPresident changed several heads of ministers Education of Turkmenistan.and departments. Now, starting 15 January2010, the country is headed by the following Khodjamukhammedov Baimyrat - deputyofficials: chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers. of Turkmenistan (in charge of the fuel and powerBerdymukhammedov Gurbanguly – sector). Born in 1961 in Ashgabat. In 1984President, Chairman of the Cabinet of graduated from the Turkmen PolytechnicMinisters. Born in Akhal velayat in 1957. Institute as a mining engineer andGraduated from the Turkmen State Medical hydrogeologist. In 1987-1990 followed108 postgraduate programme at the Moscow Institute of Geological Exploration named after S. Ordzhonikidze. Holds PhD. In 1991- 2003 held various posts in Turkmengeologija Corporation. In 2007 was appointed head of supply management of production facilities of the Turkmengas State Concern. In 2007-2008 was Minister of Oil and Gas Industry and mineral resources of Turkmenistan. In 2008 was appointed Chairman of the Turkmengas State Concern. On 10 July 2009 was appointed deputy chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Djaparov Tuvakmammed – deputy chairman Mukhammedov Khodjamukhammet - deputyof the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of(in charge of economic sector). Born in 1967 in Turkmenistan (in charge of commerce andthe village of Uzynsuv (Balkan velayat). Until textile industry). Born in 1966 in Ashgabat.1991 studied at Moscow Engineering Higher education. In 1993 graduated from theConstruction University and then continued Turkmen Institute of National Economy ashis studies at the Turkmen Polytechnic economist. In 1998-2005– deputy director andInstitute in mechanical engineering. In 1999- director of the Kharytimpeks Company under2005 – leading specialist of the Cabinet of the Ministry of Trade and Foreign EconomicMinisters of Turkmenistan. Since 2007 – first relations, director of the Gulistan statedeputy of the Minister of Economy and shopping center of the same ministry. In 2005Finances of Turkmenistan. In November 2007 was appointed deputy head and in 2006 –was appointed Chairman of the Supreme head of State Commodities and Raw MaterialsChamber of Inspection. On 15 January 2009 Exchange of Turkmenistan. Appointed to hiswas appointed deputy chairman of the current post on 13.11.2007.Cabinet of Ministers. Akmammedov Myratgeldy – deputy chairmanYazmykhammedova Maisa - deputy chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistanof the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan (in charge of agricultural sector). Born in the(in charge of culture and mass media). Born in village of Rakhat of the Mary velayat 1951. In1971 in the city of Iolotan of the Mary velayat. 1976 graduated from the Turkmen PolytechnicIn 1994 graduated from the Azadi Turkmen Institute as a civil engineer. In 2003-2005National Institute of World Languages as worked as a head of the Management ofteacher of Russian language and literature. In Industry, Construction and Mechanization of2005-2007 worked as deputy khyakim of the water economy of Turkmenistan; head of theAkhal velayat on education, culture, health Gunbatarsuvhodjalyk construction associationcare and sports. In 2007 became head of the and Dosttlukhovdangurlushik constructionNational Center of Turkmenistan`s Trade management. Since 2005 was appointed firstUnions and Central Council of Women of deputy Minister of Water Economy ofTurkmenistan. Appointed to current post on Turkmenistan. In February 2007 was13 July 2007. appointed Minister of Water Economy of Turkmenistan. On 21 July 2008 was appointedShagulyev Nazarguly - deputy chairman of the deputy chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers.Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan (in of Turkmenistan.charge of energy sector). Born in 1959 in thevillage of Bagir of the Akhal velayat. In 1980 Orazov Deryageldy – deputy chairman of thegraduated from the Turkmen Institute of Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan (inAgriculture; in 1985 – Moscow Institute charge of construction). Born in 1962 innamed after V.P. Gorjachkin on training Ahsgabat. Holds two higher educationengineers for agricultural production. In 2000- diplomas. In 1983 graduated from the2004 was acting deputy khyakim of the Turkmen Institute of National Economy, inAzatlyksky etrap of Ashgabat. In 2004-2006 1996 – Mahtumkui Turkmen State Universitywas chief engineer of the National Committee as accountant-economist and jurist. In 2004-for Hydrometeorology under the Cabinet of 2007 was khyakim of the Kopetdag etrap ofMinisters of Turkmenistan. In 2006 was the Ashgabat city. In 2007 was appointedappointed chairman of the National chairman of the State Committee on TourismCommittee for Hydrometeorology under the and Sports of Turkmenistan, and then –Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan. On 24 khyakim of the city of Ashgabat. On 15 AugustAugust 2007 was appointed deputy chairman 2008 was appointed a deputy head ofof the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan. government.109

Khodjamammedov Byashimmyrat – minister headquarters of the consumer goods of theof economy and development. Born in the Ministry of Commerce and External Economicvillage of Ak oba of the Balkan velayat. In 1990 Relations. In 2002 appointed head of sewinggraduated from the Turkmen State Institute of department of the Ministry of the TextileEconomy and Management as an economist. Industry of Turkmenistan. On 15 January 2009In 1993-2008 worked in the Central Bank of appointed a minister and chairman of theTurkmenistan in different positions. In 2008 Turkmenhaly. Appointed minister of textilewas appointed deputy minister of economy industry of 15 January 2010.and development of Turkmenistan. On 12September 2008 was appointed minister. Ogulhadzhat Ishangulyeva - a state minister, was appointed a new chairman of State JointGochyev Annamukhammet – Minister of Stock Corporation Turkmenhaly. Born in 1958Finance. Born in the village of Bendessen of in the village of Keshi of the Ashgabat city. Inthe Balkan velayat in 1973. In 1995 graduated 1984 graduated from the Turkmen Statefrom the Turkmen Institute of National University as a qualified philologist andEconomy as an economist. In 2001-2007 – teacher of Turkmen language and literature. Inhead of the finances and economy unit of the В 2003 – 2004 she worked as a deputy headLand Resources Service of the Ministry of on education of the Ashgabat city. Since 2007Agriculture of Turkmenistan; head of - a chairman of the National Center ofmanagement for defense, law enforcement Turkmen Trade Unions and a chairman of theand state governmental bodies of the Ministry Central Counsel of Turkmen Women.of Economic and Finances of Turkmenistan. In Currently she is a deputy of the Medjlis ofFebruary 2007 was appointed deputy Minister Turkmenistan. Appointed minister on 15of Economic and Finances; in February 2008 - January 2010.deputy Minister of Finances of Turkmenistan.On 18 April 2008 was appointed Minister of Nedirov Bairamgeldi – acting minister of oilFinance. and gas ministry and mineral resources. Previously worked as a deputy minister of oilGyoklenov Guvanchmyrat - chairman of the and gas industry and mineral resources.Central Bank of Turkmenistan. Before Appointed to the current position on 15appointment to this post on 14 April 2008 January 2010.worked as chairman of the State Bank forForeign Economic Affairs of Turkmenistan. No Annaguly Deryaev - chairman of theother information is available. Turkmennebit State Concern. Born in1973 in the village of Ekerem of the Balkan velayat. InAtagulyev Nokerguly - Minister of Trade and 1993 graduated from the TurkmenForeign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan. polytechnic institute as mining engineer. SinceBorn in 1964 in the Geoktepe etrap of the 2002 – head of the drilling management of theAkhal velayat. In 1995 graduated from the Turkmennebit State Concern’s central office,Turkmen Agriculture University as a qualified first deputy of the concern’s chairman. On 13manager-economist. Since 2006 - chairman of October 2008 was appointed minister of oilthe Food-processing Industry Association of and gas ministry and mineral resources ofTurkmenistan. A deputy of Medzhlis of Turkmenistan. Appointed chairman of theTurkmenistan. Appointed to his current post Concern on 12 October 2009.on 13.11.2007. Nury Mukhammedov - chairman of theBabayeva Ainabat – minister of textile Turkmengas State Concern. Appointed on 12industry. Born in 1966 in the city of Ashgabat. October 2009.In 1990 graduated from the Turkmen Instituteof National Economy as an economist. In Orazgeldiev Esenmyrat – Minister of1994-2002 – leading specialist, deputy head, Agriculture of Turkmenistan. Born in Ashgabathead of the non-foods division of the main in 1966. In 1991 graduated from the Turkmen110

Agriculture University as engineer-mechanic. Corporation. In 2006-2007 - deputy ministerIn December 2005 was appointed deputy of power and industry of Turkmenistan andMinister of Agriculture of Turkmenistan. In chairman of the Turkmenenergo Corporation.January 2006 was appointed Minister of In 2007 was appointed deputy minister ofAgriculture of Turkmenistan. power industry of Turkmenistan. On 15 January 2009 was appointed minister ofYazmyradov Annageldy - Minister of Water power industry.Economy of Turkmenistan. Born in the villageof Zahmet of the Akhal velayat. In 1988 Shamyradov Bekmyrat – Minister of Socialgraduated from the S. Niyazov`s Agriculture Security. Born in the village of Yuzbashi of theUniversity majoring in irrigation. In 2005-2007 Akhal velayat in 1967. In 1995 graduated fromwas head of «Abdan gurlushik onumleri» the Turkmen Institute of National Economy asenterprise under the Ministry of Water an economist. Worked as a chief specialist,Economy of Turkmenistan. In 2007 was head of the unit of social and cultural sphereappointed first minister of Water Economy of administration under the Ministry of EconomyTurkmenistan. Appointed minister on 21 July and Finances of Turkmenistan. Since 2008 –2008. head of the department of finances of education, science and culture of the FinanceRozymyrat Seyitkulyev - Minister of Railway Department of social and cultural sphere andTransport. Born in 1962 in the Serdarabatsky science of the Finance Ministry ofetrap of the Lebap velayat. On 1987 graduated Turkmenistan. Appointed minister of socialfrom the Tashkent railway institute as a security on 15 January 2009.mechanic engineer. In 1994-2009 worked ashead of the technical control department of Djumagulyev Ovljaguly – Minister ofTurkmenabat 1 Station, head of the Communications. Born in the KarabekaulskyTurkmenabat`s railway freight depot of the etrap of the Lebap velayat in 1955. In 1977Ministry of Railway Transport. In 2009 graduated from the Tashkent Electrotechnicalappointed acting head of the ministry. Institute of Communication as communicationAppointed minister on 15 January 2010. systems engineer. Since June 2004 – director of the velyat`s telecommunications enterpriseMyradov Gulmyrat - minister of culture and «Lebaptelecom». Appointed minister oftele- and radio broadcasting of Turkmenistan. communications on 15 January 2009.Born in 1961 in Ashgabat. In 1990 graduatedfrom the Makhtumkuli Turkmen State Khangulyev Gurbanmyrat – minister ofUniversity majoring in Turkmen language and automobile transport. Born in the village ofliterature. In 1992-2001 – head of unit, deputy Gekdje of the Akhal oblast in 1953. In 1979editor in chief, editor in chief of the graduated from the Turkmen Polytechnicnewspaper «Nesil». In 2001-2004 – deputy Institute as an engineer-mechanic. Started hisminister of culture and information of career in 1971 as a driver, then worked inTurkmenistan, in 2004-2007 – head of the different positions in several enterprises in thesecretariat of this ministry. Since 2007 - motor transport sector of Turkmenistan.deputy minister of culture and tele- and radio Appointed to current post on 16 January 2008.broadcasting of Turkmenistan. Appointed tohis current post on 11 January 2008. Babageldy Annabairamov – minister of nature protection. Born in 1960 in the city ofOrazgulyev Jarmukhammet – Minister of Ashgabat. In 1981 graduated from thePower Industry. Born in the village of Akhal of Turkmen agricultural institute as a qualifiedthe Geoktepinsky etrap. In 1982 graduated agriculturalist. Candidate of agriculturalfrom the Turkmen Polytechnic Institute as sciences. In 2004-2007 – agronomist of theelectrical engineer. Up to 2006 worked as cotton gin plant of the Ak Bugdai etrap underchief engineer of the Dovletenergogozegchilik the Turkmenpagta State Concern and Directorenterprise under the Turkmenenergo General of the Turkmenyupek corporation.111

Since March 2009 года – head of the appointed first deputy minister of educationdepartment of agricultural enterprises of the of Turkmenistan on schools and pre-schoolCabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan. establishments. On 3 July 2009 was appointedAppointed minister on 14 October 2009. minister of education.Serdarov Ata – Minister of Health Care and Amanov Charymyrat - Minister of NationalPharmaceutical Industry. Born in the Akhal Security. Born in 1966 in the Geoktepe etrapvelayat in 1964. In 1987 graduated from the (Akhal velayat). In 1990 graduated from theTurkmen State Medical Institute as a qualified Makhtumkuli Turkmen State Universitydoctor-surgeon. Holds PhD in medical majoring in mathematics. In 1991-1992 –sciences. Since April 2005 – director of the attended Supreme school of KGB of the USSR.Turkmendermansenagat (Pharmaceutics) Since 1992 held different positions in theAssociation. Appointed to his current post on Ministry of National Security of Turkmenistan.28 February 2007. In February 2007 was appointed a deputy head of the State Service of Turkmenistan ofBairamov Djumageldi – minister of registration of foreign citizens, in May 2007 –construction. Born in 1960 on the Bakharly head of the President’s Security Service.etrap of the Akhal velayat. In 1982 году Appointed to his current post on 8.10.2008.graduated from the Turkmen polytechnicinstitute as civil engineer. In 2006 appointed Berdyev Jailym – Minister of Defense. Born inhead of the Damdja building management the Bakharly etrap of the Akhal velayat indivision of the Garagumderyasuvhodjalyk 1972. In 1994 graduated from the TurkmenTrust. In 2006 - 2007 – principal engineer of Agriculture University as an agriculturalthe Turkmen branch of the Turkish company engineer. In 1995-2003 held different posts in«Ekol Mühendislik». In 2008-2010 – head of the Committee of National Security ofAkhalgurlyshyk production association under Turkmenistan on the Akhal velayat. In 2006-the Ministry of Construction; later appointed 2007 – head of the department of analysis ofdeputy minister of construction materials law enforcement and military agencies`industry. Appointed minister on 15 January activities under the Presidential2010. administration. In 2007-2008 – head of the State Service of Turkmenistan of registrationKhommadov Yazmyrat - minister of of foreign citizens. In 2008 was appointedConstruction Materials Industry. Born in the head of the State Migration Service ofvillage of Peshanaly of the Mary velayat in Turkmenistan; then head of the State Customs1965. In 1989 graduated from the Turkmen Service of Turkmenistan. Appointed asPolytechnic Institute as engineer-constructor. minister of defense on 21 January 2009.In 2006 was appointed deputy khyakim of the Simultaneously appointed secretary of theMary city; in 2008 – deputy of khyakim of the State Security Council of Turkmenistan.Mary velayat on construction; in the sameyear – khyakim of the town of Bairamali of the Garryev Myrat - Minister of Adalat (Justice) ofMary velayat. Appointed to current position Turkmenistan. Born in the Moscow oblaston 23 June 2008. (Russian Federation) in 1962. In 1984 graduated from the Turkmen State UniversityMammedova Gulshat – Minister of Education. in law. In October 2002 was elected a deputyBorn in Ashgabat in 1964. In 1988 graduated of Medzhlis of Turkmenistan and chairman offrom the Makhtumkuli Turkmen State the Medzhlis Committee for Legislation ofUniversity as a teacher of Turkmen language Turkmenistan. In February 2005 was electedand literature. In 1988-2003 worked as as chairman of the Medzhlis Committee forteacher of Turkmen language and literature in Human Rights and Liberties. Appointed arural school; then deputy school principal. In minister on 24 February 2007.2005-2007 was head of the educationdepartment of the Ashgabat city. In 2007 was112

Mulikov Isgender – Minister of Internal published budget expenditures, allotted to theAffairs. Born in Ashgabat in 1975. In 1996 social sphere.graduated from the High School of InteriorMinistry of Turkmenistan as jurist. Held In early January the chairman of Medjlis ondifferent posts in structural units of the economy and social policy ByashimInterior Ministry of Turkmenistan. Since Annagurbanov provided the journalists withFebruary 2009 was head of the Police the following data: 9,6 billion manats ($3,3Department of the Dashoguz velayat. billion) will be allotted from the state budgetAppointed minister on 29 May 2009. for expenditures of the 1st level. Out of this money allotted for the social sphere, 39, 1%Khodjamyradov Chary – Prosecutor General. ($1,29 billion) will be channeled to education,Born in 1962 in the Bakharly village of the 12,7% ($0,43 billion) to health care sector,Akhal velayat. In 1984 graduated from the 4,3% ($0,13 billion) to culture, 33,4% ($1.1.Faculty of Legal Studies of the Makhtumkuli billion) to support the system of state socialTurkmen State University as a qualified jurist. care, and 10,4% ($0,33 billion) to housingIn 1998-2002 – deputy head, acting head and maintenance and utilities services.later – head of the kazyet (court) of theAshgabat city. From 2002 to 2006 – head of Now let us look at the sums, which initiallythe kazyet (court) of the Dashogzu velayat. In appeared on the official site «Turkmenistan -2006-2007 – head of the kazyet (court) of the Golden Age», and deleted later. Yet, it tookAshgabat city. In 2007 appointed chairman of longer to delete them from the printed press,the Supreme kazyet (court) of Turkmenistan. therefore it resulted in a delay to the delivery.Appointed to his current post on 3.03.2008. Fortunately, many websites managed to copyGurbannazarov Orazmyrat - Chairman of the the initial variants of the published orders. TheSupreme Chamber of Control of order that talked of dismantling the Arch ofTurkmenistan. Born in the Bakharly village of Neutrality and building a new «magnificentthe Akhal velayat in 1966. In 1993 graduated monument», indicated the sum of $217,8 mln.from the Faculty of Economics of the Turkmen And this is approximately twice as much as theAgriculture University as economist in budgetary expenditures allotted for culture.accounting and finances. After graduation,held various posts in financial departments B. Annagurbanov has further said: «The stateand tax services. Until 2008 was head of the programme to drastically alter a the social andcontrol unit over the tax services activities of living conditions until 2020 foreseesthe State Tax Service on the Akhal velayat. In investments totaling $0,5 billion». In other2008 was appointed deputy chairman of the words, $50 mln per year.Supreme Chamber of Control ofTurkmenistan. On 15 January 2009 was This sum is less than $57,1 mln - the sumappointed chairman of the Supreme Chamber allotted for the next exchange of the podiumof Control. for the government, which is used twice a year for the conduct of parades. The sum forDisparate expenditures (24 January 2010) the podium exchange has also disappearedCentral newspapers, issued on 18 January, from the text of the order. Perhaps, in orderwere delivered to the Turkmen subscribers not to upset the rural residents?with long delays. The staff of printing houseshad to delete any mention to the sums, Why was it suddenly decided not to revealallotted by the presidential order for the these sums? Were they so sacred that theconstruction of several objects in the population would start comparingnewspapers, which were already ready for «necessary» and «unnecessary» expenses?printing. These sums looked very indiscreet, Were they ashamed to do so?particularly in comparison with recently113

Then why does the President have no scruples Development (EBRD) has approved a newabout allotting pieces of land to his close strategy on Turkmenistan, specifying explicitlyfriends in the capital? that normalization of relations is only possible with the improvement of the country’s human«The President of the country G. rights record. And yesterday, the people haveBerdymukhamedov signed a decree allowing changed the government in neighboringthe Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Kyrgyzstan.of Turkmenistan to obtain a piece of land of2,2 hectare». It is an open secret that the head If the authorities listen to the words of the UNof the Union Dadayev Alexandr Akhadovich Secretary General and the EBRD Board ofhas business contacts with the President. Directors, they will have to implement the reform of the penitentiary system, includingA similar document has been signed with the access of the International Committee ofregard to the Gyul Zaman company, which will the Red Cross` representatives to the prisons.build a garden center on the 2 hectare land in A Special Rapporteur on education will have toAshgabat. This company belongs to the be invited to the country as well to assess thePresident`s assistant Khramov Viktor real impact of the reforms in the sphere ofMikhailovich. education and comment on how the ban for the students to leave the country to continuePerhaps therefore it should not be surprising their studies in foreign universities fits intothat Turkmenistan`s rate in the Index of these reforms. And many further steps willeconomic freedom is sinking every year and have to be implemented to mitigate thenow the country rates 171 out of 179. And the current regime.concept of «transparent economy» will behardly implemented in Turkmenistan in the However, now following the events innearest future. Kyrgyzstan, would the Turkmen authorities like to fulfill the UN recommendations andWhat’s to be done? (9 April 2010) normalize the relations with the EBRD, i.e. toWithin one week the Turkmen authorities offer more rights and freedoms for thehave received several ambiguous signals, citizens, thus making their restful life lesswhich will have to be considered in their restful?future activities. Or will there be a new crackdown? There isThe UN Secretary General, who visited very little room left over for “tightening theTurkmenistan a week ago, has urged the screws” but, according to a saying, «there isauthorities to fulfill all UN human rights no limit to perfection».recommendations. Three days ago, theEuropean Bank on Reconstruction and Meanwhile, while reflecting on the signals114 received, «the President of Turkmenistan, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan, General of the Army Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov visited the Military Academy of Turkmenistan where he demonstrated his marksmanship on the shooting simulator. The Turkmen leader fired a virtual machine-gun and hit all targets. The members of the National Security Council, accompanying the President, congratulated Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov on the brilliant result».

Private and state interests of the with senior state officials. When organizingTurkmen celestials (20 April 2010) such meetings, he is observing not only theRecently the country’s President signed a state interests. According to a person, whodecree on measures to facilitate was meeting the vice prime-minister of theTurkmenistan’s joining the Eurasian group Turkmen government as part of a group ofcombating money laundering and the businessmen, the lowest payment for thefinancing of terrorism. We gathered meeting arrangement is the employment ofinformation on some of those who, as the close Mzatiev`s relatives to this company.government of the country, must ensure that Insiders also say that in private discussionsTurkmenistan meets its commitments as a with businessmen, B. Myatiev often points outmember of this international organization. his similarity in appearance with the state leader and hints that he will soon replace him.The data collected calls into question thesuccess of the efforts aimed to combat money Back in Niyazov`s times, in order to combatlaundering and to fight corruption. corruption among state officials, a rule has been introduced that the special services hadAs was discovered, Baimurad to investigate the entire background of theKhodjamukhammedov, the vice prime- candidate for a high post. If a family memberminister in charge of fuel and energy, is openly of the candidate had been formerly convicted,supporting certain companies as contractors he was not permitted to take the state officefor the implementation of large-scale projects position. This means of combating corruptionin the fuel and energy sector. Among those is did not work at that time; nor does it helpthe Vizor Company, which is registered in now.Turkey and is part of Kazakhstan’s VizorHolding. According to the information Niker Atakuliev, a former minister of trade andreceived, through direct involvement of foreign economic relations, presentlyKhodjamukhammedov the company has Ambassador of Turkmenistan in the Republicalready received lucrative contracts for the of Tajikistan, was convicted of rape when heconstruction of several residential complexes was a teenager. However, this serious crimefor the fuel and energy sector. It is expected was not discovered either upon histhat it will receive further contracts for the appointment as Minister or as Ambassadorconstruction of several industrial objects for Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. Apparently,chemical industry in the cities of Mary and the respective bodies, on mutual agreementTurkmenabat. Certainly, there is no evidence with N. Atakuliev, concealed this fact in histhat the vice prime minister is getting any biography. And this can hardly have beenbenefit from these contracts; however, many done just in exchange for a «thank you».in the government are well aware that he isactively promoting certain companies. A similar favour was also done to Khaodjamukhammed Mukhammedov, theThere is information that Chary Amanov, the vice prime minister. The conviction of his elderminister for national security, also supports brother, who, according to our data, was aseveral foreign companies. Among them are member of a mob led by the well-knownthe Turkish company Sehil (close relatives of criminal leader Aimurad (who was sentencedAmanov are employed in this company), to the capital punishment back in SovietKhayat Company (registered in Turkey for the times), has disappeared from his record.names of Turkmen citizens) and Iranian Pars The facts listed above were collected fromEnergy (according to unconfirmed data this is various reliable sources.controlled by Iran’s special services). Commenting on the decree signed by theBerdy Myatiev, the head of the State Protocol President, the official Turkmen press reports:Service, is responsible for arranging meetings «Turkmenistan is steadily fulfilling theof leaders of the foreign business structures commitments having signed a series of115

international documents, including the UN Pursuant to the decree, “Presidentbank” wasConvention Against Transnational Organized assigned to open a two-year credit line for 70Crime and the UN Convention Against billion manats at 5% annual interest rate andCorruption». two-year grace period for the principal debt and accrued interest at the expense ofTycoon – President’s friend (10 April 2012) borrowed funds and the Central Bank. TheAleksandr Dadaev – chairman of the Union of Central bank was instructed to ensure theIndustrialists and Entrepreneurs of currency conversion at the official rate ofTurkmenistan, CEO of the large privately- manats. The Land Resources Service wasowned company “Gush toplumy” (poultry assigned to allocate 30 hectares of land forproduction complex), the owner of the only the construction of the new complex in theprivate bank in the country, the founder of the Bakharly etrap as well as 1500 hectares ofonly privately-owned newspaper and deputy irrigated land in the Akhal velayat and 500chairman of the Turkmen-Russian Business hectares in the Dashoguz velayat. The MinistryCouncil. of Construction was instructed to supply construction materials to the complex. TheIt is unlikely that any other Turkmen Ministry of Power Engineering and Industryentrepreneur can boast about such was obliged to install power supply systems.achievements and titles during 20 years of the Similar instructions were also given to thecountry’s independence. Ministry of Water Economy, State Corporation “Turkmengeology”, the Ministry ofIt is extremely complicated to do business in Automobile Transport and State ConcernTurkmenistan which is overly controlled by the “Turkmengas”. Before the completion oflaw-enforcement agencies. Many talented construction works “Gush toplumy” wasentrepreneurs who, according to the exempt from any customs duties. Anauthorities “grew extremely rich”, were put in amendment to the tax law was introduced forprisons and were urged to abandon their the “Gush toplumy”, which envisaged a 3 yearsuccessful businesses. Others left the country exemption from profit tax.leaving behind what they had earned in anattempt to rescue themselves and their The President made such a gift to thefamilies. entrepreneur five years ago. After his re- election for the second Presidential term, G.However, A. Dadaev remained afloat Berdymukhammedov issued anotherthroughout all these years. Allegedly during document (dated 20 March, 2012): “With theNiyazov’s time, when he received notes from view of ensuring sustainable, acceleratedhigher ranking officials with amounts of growth of the national economy in the era ofmoney indicated, he paid all expenses. Yet, he power and happiness, further development ofwas little known back then. entrepreneurship in the country as well as rendering comprehensive state support toHis moment of glory occurred after G. businessmen in the successful implementationBerdymukhammedov came to power. One of of tasks within the framework of the state-runthe first decrees issued by the newly-elected program of small and medium businessPresident (dated 28 June 2007) focused on support in Turkmenistan for the years 2011-setting up major poultry production complex 2015, the President of Turkmenistan signed abased on the privately-run enterprise “Gush resolution giving permission to the Centraltoplumy” owned by Aleksandr Dadaev. Bank to allocate funds in the amount of 30 million US dollars to the Union of IndustrialistsAlthough the Turkmen print media presented and Entrepreneurs”.this decree as the President’s care about The Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs was set up in March 2008 and Dadaev becameentrepreneurs, which providedunprecedented benefits, it implied only onebusinessman.116

its chairman. Virtually the allocated 30 The Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneursmillions were at his disposal. run by A. Dadaev is expanding the area of its interests intruding into the constructionIt should be highlighted that a similar public sector which up to now has been the domainassociation which was registered in August of foreign companies, primary Turkish1993 already existed under the title ‘The businesses. The Union has already receivedUnion of Industrialists of Turkmenistan”. It the green light from the President to designwas the permanent member of the and construct over 20 various objectsInternational Congress of Industrialists and including high rise apartment buildings, aEntrepreneurs. cattle market, multi-level parking facility in Ashgabat and suburban settlements in theNevertheless, virtually the next day after the capital’s vicinity, livestock farms and sturgeonUnion of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs was breeding farms in the Balkan velayat. Besides,set up, A.Dadaev paid a visit to the Union of the huge building (see the photo) which isIndustrialists and demanded that they leave home to all enterprises, organizations andthe premises. The chairman of the Union of stores comprised in Dadaev’s empire wereIndustrialists Kakabay Sopyev filed a complaint built by the Union of Industrialists andto the General Prosecutor’s office. The legal Entrepreneurs. It should be mentioned,advisors from the Prosecutor’s office reviewed however, that the buildings need constantthe complaint for two months and admitted repair, but this is another story.that K. Sopyev was right in this dispute. Yet,Dadaev enjoys the President’s support. The stores run by the Union of IndustrialistsNeedless to say, the Union run by Dadaev and Entrepreneurs sell not only chicken.eventually won. Many entrepreneurs, former Several months ago expensive pens weremembers of the Union of Industrialists, joined supplied there at the price of several thousandthe Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. dollars. It would seem to be illogical step. Who would buy them? Yet, the merchandize wasDadaev’s “empire”, which is supported by the sold out instantly as it is an excellent gift for aPresident, continues to expand. In 2011 high-ranking boss. Dadaev is well aware of thepursuant to the Presidential decree the first principles underlying the relationship betweenprivate bank was set up. The bank which was subordinate sand managers.entitled “Rysgal” was located on the premisesof the business centre owned by the Union of Aleksandr Dadaev became a key player in theIndustrialists and Entrepreneurs. In the business elite of the country and beyondmeantime the overwhelming majority of its borders for a reason. He is invited toentrepreneurs are urged to apply for a loan to extended Cabinet sessions, his name isthe bank which is in practice managed by A. included in the government delegationsDadaev. travelling abroad and he participates in meetings with foreign delegations payingSpeaking about Dadaev’s main business – visits to Turkmenistan.poultry and cattle breeding, thanks to hissuccessful operations many private farmers What is the point for Berdymukhammedov towent bankrupt. Virtually all grocery stores in provide such generous support to Dadaev? Letthe capital and other big cities have abundant us omit the topic of potential “kickbacks”,stocks of “Gush toplumy” produce. Cases have money laundering etc. The aforementionedbeen recorded when some individuals made phenomena can only serve as indirect interestraids of the local bazaars demanding that the of the Turkmen President in the prosperity ofvendors sell eggs not lower than the a specific businessman.determined price thus virtually withdrawingother producers from competition. However, Dadaev pays out political dividends to his personal patron.117

The international community has alwayscriticized Turkmenistan for the lack of free(non-governmental) mass media outlets. InOctober 2010 the first privately-ownednewspaper “Rysgal” was published and thefirst issue of the newspaper, founded by theUnion of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, washanded over to PresidentBerdymukhammedov at the Cabinet session inthe festive atmosphere. Needless to say, suchinitiative can be entrusted only to Dadaev whonever betrays this trust. The publication of theprivate newspaper is covered in all reportsprepared by the Turkmen authorities as theacknowledgment of the successfulimplementation of democratic reforms inTurkmenistan.Again, the growth of the Union of Industrialistsand Entrepreneurs is being presented by theauthorities as the government’s efforts toprovide tangible assistance to NGOs. This isalso seen as a positive trend by internationalstakeholders (for instance, the EuropeanCommission hoping to implement the Nabuccoconstruction project).As a response to the international communitythe President announced about his plans to setup two new political parties – the agrarianparty and the party of entrepreneurs. Bothparties are supposed to cover Dadaev’s rangeof interests since he is the leader ofentrepreneurs and agricultural producer by hisfirst training. He will not become the head ofthese parties due to a non-Turkmen surnamebut the tycoon who has demonstrated goodorganizational skills and loyalty to friendshipwill certainly be entrusted to provide fundingto one of the parties or may be even both ofthem.118

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ALTYN ASYROVA explain it by the President`s manic tendency to clean and tidy. However, his measures toBeyond the point of common sense... strive for cleanliness are very selective. Having(28 April 2009) ordered the dismantling of the dishes and airThe decision of the authorities to forcibly conditioning units along the so-calleddismantle the air conditioning units in “protocol” routes, which he normally takesAshgabat has no rational justification. This and might take, he has not issued anygoes beyond the point of common sense. It instructions to reorganize and clean up thecannot be explained by any expedience. It is waste disposal and water supply systems,merely absurd... particularly in multi-store apartment blocks; or finally to arrange for public toilets in theThe previous decision to dismantle satellite city. This is nothing else but window dressingdishes was justified by the intention to as people tended to call it not so long ago.beautify the city. There was some, thoughwith a stretch of imagination, rationale behind Others blame the overly zealous officers fromit. According to the logic of the authorities, the President`s security apparatus for thissatellite aerials are not of vital importance. decision. Allegedly, it was them who advisedMoreover, the dismantled individual dishes that the body of air conditioners be removedwere to be replaced with collective antennae, due to the fact that one can easily hide ani.e. in fact with cable television but without explosive device inside. It is hard to imaginethe choice of satellite channels. However, at that anyone who would dare to hide a bombleast some alternative was offered. in the wall of one’s own apartment. However, this version of the reason behind the fightNow, the authorities are depriving the against air conditioners is very popular amongcountry`s citizens of one of the vital elements the city residents.for a comfortable and decent life. It is an opensecret that the concrete buildings in hot Whatever is the reason is, many residents ofclimates are no better designed for a the apartment blocks along the presidentialcomfortable life than huts in the tundra. routes will soon ‘enjoy’ the fruits of theHowever, in contrast with the latter, the President’s care about the appearance of thetemperature in a concrete apartment can city. Or about his own, presidential, safety.remain above 30C for months while increasing The summer is going to be hot…to 45C-50C during the day! In this situation, anair conditioner is no longer a luxury item; it is Mister President!essential for life. There is no need for anyreason as it is obvious. Please kindly make a TV appeal and inform the public that you personally and your familyYet, the reasons which led the authorities to have stopped using air conditioners. You don`tmake this decision are not so obvious. Some need to explain the reasons; the people will show solidarity with you and will tolerate the120 heat if the President himself has chosen to do this. It remains unclear why this is being done. Or order your people to return the air conditioners. Otherwise, your words about caring for the wellbeing and health of the people are not worth a pin. The people do not understand this! This lies beyond the edge of understanding! ***

Editorial NoteWe have recently received information thatthe residents of several apartment blocks inAshgabat have prepared letters addressed tothe President and the city’s khyakim and arecurrently collecting signatures. The people aretrying to get the thoughtlessness of thedecision to dismantle the air conditions in theresidential complexes over to the authorities,and the serious consequences this may lead to.121

MERET BABAEV willingly buy cotton oil and industrial goods. In our turn, we had an opportunity to take ourPeople on both sides of the border guests to Khiva to feast eyes on the localexpress opinions on the upcoming visit of historical attractions. We did not face anyUzbekistan President to Turkmenistan (16 problems with crossing the border, actually,September 2007) there was no boarder at all. Yet, the situationTurkmenistan is getting ready to host the in the border as well as the bilateral relationsPresident of the neighbouring Uzbekistan drastically changed after the two formerIslam Karimov. Many are hoping that the visit fraternal republics had gained independencewill considerably improve the Turkmen-Uzbek and become sovereign states. The barbed wirerelations which under the former has been installed along the entire Turkmen-Turkmenistan President S. Niyazov were Uzbek border (it stretches across about 1500strained and nearly came to a deadlock. kilometres). Notwithstanding the fact that the Presidents of both countries Niyazov andIn the meantime, the forthcoming visit is a Karimov met in Bukhara to agree onmajor topic under discussion for the residents introducing the simplified border-crossingof the border zone districts of the neighboring procedure, this made the lives of the borderstates. Several people residing on both sides zone residents no easier. Meanwhile theof the border have been interviewed. Their Turkmen citizens have to pay a fee of 42,000opinions are as follows. manats to the Turkmen customs officers to spend three days in Uzbekistan. The UzbekBabadjan A., a resident of the daihan customs officers impose no charge on the(farmer’s) association “Gulistan” at the etrap Turkmen citizens for crossing the border. Thenamed after S. A. Niyazov, Dashoguz velayat, Uzbek residents who wish to enterTurkmenistan: Turkmenistan find themselves in a tougher situation. To be able to stay three days in“Of course, I support the idea that our two Turkmenistan they are charged the samenations should be on friendly terms. Indeed, amount as Turkmen, but in the US dollarTurkmen, Uzbeks, Kara-Kalpaks, residing in the equivalent. Eight dollars at the Turkmenistanlower reach of the Amu-Darja River from time “black market” exchange rate make up abouteternal did not recognize the borders and 192,000 manats. It is unaffordable for Uzbekstherefore freely paid visits to each other, did to pay this amount to stay just three days inmatch-making for their sons, and held joint Turkmenistan”.festivities. I remember the Soviet times whenthe neighbors, skillful farmers, were bringing Sabirdjon Kh., a resident of the village ofcheap fruit and vegetables to the Dashoguz Koshkupyr, the Khorez velayat, Uzbekistan:markets. The neighbors were also not leavingour city empty-handed. The Uzbeks would “I have also heard that our President is122 planning to pay a visit to Turkmenistan. Of course, at the bottom of my heart I do hope that this visit would bring tangible and fruitful results. I, like many of my fellow countrymen, am very much concerned about the fact that during seyil days (the period from late August till mid September when the Uzbeks extensively go on pilgrimages to such well- known cemeteries in Turkmenistan as “Uch yuz altmysh owliya” in Kunyaurgench, “Ysmamut-ata” and “Lyalezem-ata” in Takhta) we cannot visit the graves of our ancestors. For many years the inhabitants of some Uzbek villages close to the border had been burying

the dead in the cemeteries located on the criminally with smugglers and at a set dateTurkmen side. Back in the USSR times we and an agreed hour open the border in thecould visit the cemeteries to hold wakes in specially designated places. I am in favor ofmemory of the dead and conduct our religious establishing friendly relations between theceremonies. During the seyil days the caravans two nations. Yet, I am against opening up theof tractors, cars, motorcycles and carts were border to export the goods fromlining up to head from Uzbekistan to the Turkmenistan. Can you imagine how theTurkmen cemeteries. Later on, during prices would skyrocket? Recently, a kilo ofTurkmenbashi’s presidency, the border meat has cost 45,000 manats and now thebetween our two countries was completely price have increased to 50,000 manats. Why?shut down. Nobody would now think of Somebody must have sealed off the borderholding a seyil. Those who can afford to pay 8 somewhere for the smugglers, who aredollars can go to Turkmenistan for 3 days and engaged in the illegal export of cattle tovisit the graves of their ancestors and the Uzbekistan. The same holds true for cotton oil.saints in the “Ysmamut-ata” cemetery. For A 1,5 liter bottle of cotton oil costs here aboutmany people seyil is too pricey. Therefore 15,000-16,000 manats, whereas in Uzbekistaneach year less and less people recall their - about 30,000-40,000 manats if converted torelatives, who had been buried in our currency. The average meat price inTurkmenistan. If Karimov’s visit to Turkmenistan amounts to 50,000 manatsTurkmenistan helps to revive seyils and the while in Uzbekistan a kilo costs above 90,000Turkmen authorities give us “the green light” manats. A 20 liter jerrican of gasoline can beto make pilgrimages, I together with bought here at 20,000 manats while inthousands of my fellow countrymen would Uzbekistan it is four times as high. That is whyassume that the time spent on the visit was I am against opening the border. Let Uzbeksnot in vain. Yet, for some reason I have doubts come to visit us and go on pilgrimages tothat it is likely to happen. Indeed, Niyazov and sacred places. Occasional we can also go toKarimov met in Bukhara and signed a lot of Khiva to see the historical sights, visit theagreements. In particular, agreements on Uzbek bazaars abundant in fruit andlaunching free trade zones in the border vegetables”.regions and setting up common bazaars. TheTurkmen side has allegedly built a gasoline Aidogdy Kh, an engineer, a resident of thefilling station near Dashoguz specially for the Gubadag etrap, Turkmenistan:Uzbek vehicles, however, no Uzbek cars filledup their tanks with Turkmen gasoline. “I am for establishing the bilateral relationsAllegedly, the Turkmen inhabitants dismantled exclusively on the economic, mutually-this gasoline station and moved it inland its beneficial and equal basis rather than basedterritory”. on the personal likes and dislikes of both leaders. We, Turkmen, can learn a lot fromAllaberdy D., a resident of the village of Uzbeks. Nearly all sorts of cotton here wereGerogly (formerly Takhta): bred by the Uzbek selection specialists. Back in the USSR times we were harvesting the“Niyazov did a good thing by completely cotton with cotton-picking machines,closing down the border with Uzbekistan. My manufactured in Uzbekistan. The Tashkent-argument behind is that in the past many produced tractors, cotton carrying trolleys,commodities were exported from technological equipment for cotton cleaningTurkmenistan in abundance. Gasoline, cotton industry, mineral fertilizers, cement fromoil, industrial products, cattle were exported Navoya, potatoes from Bukhara, fruit andto Uzbekistan. After the border had been vegetables from Khorezm and many otherclosed, a flow of smuggled goods considerably commodities were brought in from thedropped down. Nevertheless, there are some neighboring state. I assume it would be moreunscrupulous and corrupt Turkmen customs economically sound to purchase the cottonand immigration officers, who conspire picking machines from our neighbors rather123

than import expensive machinery from the US. The problem is heavily discussed amongst theTurkmenistan can sell natural gas, electric drivers who spend an hour and a half or twopower, gasoline and diesel to the neighbor. hours queuing to get petrol. Some blame theFirst, the civilized relations should be authorities, who are allegedly lying about theestablished. Now it is a complete mess! Some annual oil output of over 8 million tons; otherspeople make a fortune on the illegal export of assume that the deficit is artificially created bycheap Turkmen gasoline, grain, livestock, those who are trying to discredit theconsumer goods and food. We need to find authorities in the eyes of the residents.ways not to allow the crooks and swindlers togenerate cash on the existing problems Occasionally, after standing in hour-long lines,between the two states. I am convinced that some of the exhausted drivers may suggest tothe presidents would come to an agreement. I their fellow sufferers that they all go to thebelieve it is going to happen, as Gurbanguly velayat’s khyakimlik office (the localBerdymukhammedov is not Saparmurat administration) and demand that theNiyazov, who was suspicious not only to authorities eventually take control of theUzbeks but to other neighbors and isolated petrol stations and ensure that the residentsthe country from the outside world”. can get petrol without any restrictions. However, none of the drivers has supported aIt should be added to what has been said one-off rebellion as the fear of the authoritiesabove that in the residential areas of the and their punitive agencies represented by theTurkmen communities in Uzbekistan the Public prosecutors’ office, the Ministry of theTurkmen schools and the Turkmen cultural Interior or the Ministry of National Security, iscenters are operating. Moreover, the Turkmen deeply rooted in the people’s minds. Peopleradio is broadcasting. No Uzbek schools, mass prefer to stand in queues rather than tomedia and national cultural centers exist in challenge the circumstances. Basically, littlethe Uzbek communities living in has changed since Turkmenbashi’sTurkmenistan, which make up 8-12% of the dictatorship, and people are still living in fear.Turkmen population according to variousdata. However, other representatives of the In February 2008, the price of petrol increasednational minorities in Turkmenistan are facing tenfold in Turkmenistan. At the same time, athe same issues. certain amount of petrol, more specifically 720 litres is provided to car owners free ofOil shortage (1 October 2008) charge every six months.An acute shortage of petrol is beingexperienced in the Dashoguz velayat. The cars Petroleum vouchers are distributed amonglining up several hundred meters near the owners of passenger cars in the offices of thepetrol stations– in an oil-rich country - Daikhanbank. Upon the drivers’ request,demonstrate the paradoxes of the Turkmen vouchers are provided for A-80 or A-95 petrol.economy. Whereas there is no shortage of A-80 series petrol, which is available in abundance at124 every petrol station, obtaining A-95 petrol has become a problem. Since the early morning the car owners who received coupons for this type of fuel, rush from one petrol station to another in an attempt to get the long-awaited free petrol. «I have been on my feet trying to find fuel since 6 a.m., - says Sadullah, owner of a Toyota Camry. – There is no A-95 petrol at the filling station located on the Urgench motor way. Nor is it available at the central petrol

station. A kilometer-long queue has been the ministers cursed and the children whoformed at the filling station 45! I had to join it. were brought to participate in the ceremony,Two hours have passed but there are 17 more were not allowed to go to the toilet within 1,5cars ahead of me. Oddly enough, it is km of the ceremony site.impossible even to purchase A-95 petrol. Nexttime I will get the vouchers for A-80 petrol». According to the experts, the cult of the new personality was not long in coming. This isThe petrol shortage is experienced only in the strongly exemplified in two recent events –Dashoguz velayat. None of the residents of the the opening of the improved facilities of theAkhal, Mary, Lebap or the Balkan velayats etrap Esenguly in the Balkan velayat and ahave had any major troubles in filling their new Rukhubelent etrap in the Dashoguzcars. Up until recently the situation has velayat. The witnesses of the events in thestabilized in Dashoguz. However, another Dashoguz velayat tell the story.management reshuffle at the main office ofthe oil storage depot has resulted in the «If you could only see what happened here onqueues at the petrol stations. the eve and day of the President’s visit!» a participant of the Rukhubelent event exclaims.«It costs approximately 250 thousand dollars «Everybody available was brought to the site;to get the position of the CEO in the main everything possible was rounded up. Columnsoffice of the Dashoguz oil storage depot, - says of cars and buses headed for the newan employee of the Turkmennebitonumleri residential blocks to be opened which areheadquarters, - i.e. a bribe of such an amount located dozens of kilometers away from theneeds to be paid. You can judge for yourself velayat`s center».what a person, who paid such an amount ofmoney to get this position, is capable of Chains of buses with schoolchildren weredoing....» accompanied by traffic police vehicles. It is the children who were the main characters in theApparently, the person will do his best to meeting with the Presidents in both regions ofrecuperate the amount he invested. For the country.instance, he may look for illegal ways ofexporting fuel to neighboring Uzbekistan, The teachers of a Dashoguz school describewhere the petrol price is even higher. Or, he the day prior to the visit ofmay dilute A-95 petrol grade with diesel oil Berdymukhamedov to Rukhubelent as follows:and the operators of the filling stations maysell 18 liters instead of 20. «There were plenty of things still to do; these were fixed on the last day. Roads were beingAt the same time we cannot claim that car asphalted; trees were being planted; windowsowners in other provinces of the country do were being cleaned; the portraits of thenot experience any problems. There is plenty Presidents, slogans and ribbons were beingof petrol but people have to undergo much hung up, fabric rolls with sprouted seeds ofstress to obtain the coupons for free petrol. wheat to imitate green lawns were beingThe authorities are unable to get the situation rolled out... The ministers who came from theunder control. The photo shows a crowd capital city behaved terribly: they yelled atstanding in line in front of a bank office in their subordinates – velayat officials,Ashgabat. They are hoping to obtain the humiliated and insulted them, accused themcoupons and come to the bank offices long of being lazy... the cursing was impossible tobefore the opening hours. stand. And this happened next to the children who had been brought over for the lastRed-carpet welcome or psychosis (31 rehearsals… The carpets which were broughtOctober 2008) for the event alone could be counted in theirBefore the arrival of the President at the hundreds! Every head of an enterprise or anopening ceremony of the Rukhubelent etrap, organization was required to find and bring 5,125

10, 20 Turkmen carpets no smaller than 2х3 the public buildings... The President has flownsquare meters depending on the scale of the away. The curtain came down. Theenterprise and the number of employees. performance is over. The routine life in theThese were thrown at the feet of the only one new etrap starts.who was the center of this festive occasion.The carpets were spread on the ground in Turkmen gastarbeiters are not scared byfront of all objects – a shopping mall, an the crisis (21 January 2009)indoor market, a school, a kindergarten, a The economic crisis in Russia pushed homekhyakimlik, a communication center, etc. - many migrant workers from Central Asia. Onlywhich were to be officially opened by the Turkmenistani citizens are unwilling to go backPresident». to their home country.A shopping mall fascinated all those who On the contrary: all international flights fromentered it with the variety of goods and food Ashgabat are overbooked, particularly tostuffs available. However, all this was not for Turkey and Russia. Since there are no trainsale but just brought for display. According to and bus connections from Turkmenistan tothe people responsible for the supplies of the foreign countries, planes remain the onlycounters, after the departure of the President, means of communication.all foods will be sent back to Dashoguz. In the situation of mass unemployment inIt should be noted that hundreds of people Turkmenistan, many young girls and boys gohad to eat what they had brought themselves to other countries in search of work. Theyand drink water which they had collected in have heard about the world crisis only fromthe town. Nobody took care of catering the programs on Russian TV and this neitherservices for this large number of people scares nor stops them from wanting to go.including the children who were brought herefor 2-3 days from towns and villages of the «At home we have neither prospects norDashoguz etrap. hopes at all», says Oraz-aga, a father who is seeing his son off to Istanbul. «Factories andHundreds of people spent the last night prior plants are operating there; people are buildingto the President’s visit in the village. They had houses to live in; road construction isto sleep in all sorts of places and anywhere. underway. In sum, I am hopeful that my hard-Buses and cars were used for sleeping. working son will be in demand».Particular attention should be paid to the The exodus is most dramatic in the easterntoilet facilities. It goes without saying that no and northern regions of the country. Youngpublic WCs were provided in the village. men who have completed their militaryHowever, nobody was allowed to use the new service, and girls, who have completedhouses which had water supply and drainage secondary school and found neithersystems. Thus, the people, including children, opportunities to continue their studies norhad to go far beyond the village, about 1,5-2 stable jobs, are heading for Russia, Turkey andkilometers away, to relieve themselves. Theywere not allowed to do this any closer to thevillage in order not to destroy the idyll of thefestivity with the smell.This was how the President was met in theRukhubelent village.... The carpets are removed, the counters ofthe shopping mall are empty, the toys fromthe kindergarten are sent back, and prettycurtains are taken down off the windows of126

Kazakhstan to make use of their skills there to make do with little both with regard to foodearn some money. and everyday life. Different things can happen; however, most Turkmen girls give aMass work migration started with a small positive account as shop assistants, domesticthing. A few years ago, two young men from servants, cleaning ladies, nurses caring forthe village of Goshahovly in the Saparmurat invalids and the elderly in Istanbul, Bursa,Turkmenbashi etrap went to Russia to look for Ankara and other Turkish cities.work. When they went, they had a poorcommand of Russian and almost no idea «My mistress does not want to let me goabout the route they would take and the work home for good; she says: go for a couple ofthey would have to do. To cut the story short, weeks, meet your family and then comethey managed. One and half years later, there back», says Nurjemal, about 30 y. o. «Now shewere rumors in the village and the entire pays me $500 and promises to pay $200 moreetrap that the guys from Goshahovly «were as of January. I think I will stay there forsending their parents $300 via Western Union another year. Because of this life, I have noton a monthly basis», and one of them had got married nor started a family. However, mymanaged to purchase and bring home a new parents tell me: don’t come back, what willToyota Camry after two years of work. you do here?»For Turkmenistan in general and particularly Indeed: what to do? Presently, youngfor its poorest province – the Dashoguz Turkmen men are not eager to be employedvelayat – to send home $300 each month or by Turkish construction companies which areto travel back in a new foreign car is the peak building luxury palaces and hotels in Ashgabat.of the aims of thousands of young people. Today, due to the artificial, i.e. not realThus, similar talks on about the good earnings exchange rate, $200-300 paid by Turkishin Russia pushed many other people to leave companies is not such big money intheir home country and try their luck abroad, comparison with the earnings of migranti.e. in employment, outside of Turkmenistan. workers in Turkey or Russia.In some Turkmen villages, local residents «Our youth is leaving for all possible places toconsider the work in other countries so earn money», says Nepes-aga, a resident ofattractive and profitable that many Turkmens Mikrorayon 11, in Ashgabat «The son anddo not mind the fact that their daughters, daughter-in-law of my neighbors have beensisters and young daughters-in-law are going working in Istanbul for over a year already;to other countries to earn money. In former and the granddaughter of my neighbortimes, Turkmens in general, and especially Nartach-edje has allegedly found a perfect jobrural residents would never let their daughters in the Turkish part of Cyprus. If Turkmenistango abroad, even if offered very good money. continues to build hotels, recreation objectsHowever, things are different now. The and a new palace for the President instead ofcontinuous lack of money, the absence of a industrial enterprises, then – mark my words –stable income, pittances received by daikhans soon all Turkmenistani citizens will becomefrom the cotton or wheat production and, migrant workers. And no crisis will be able tofinally, the psychological impact on families stop them».caused by absence of employment, force eventhe people who live in the middle of nowhere Indeed, the crisis does not stop them. Youngto «keep up with the times» and adapt to the and not very young people are fleeing thecircumstances. country in search of jobs. And it doesn’t appear that anyone has come back due to theAccording to Russians and Turks, young boys crisis.and girls from Turkmenistan are known ashard-working, with ‘can-do’ attitudes,modesty in their demands and an ability to127

that the murder was committed by a family member». Apart from physical torture, moral pressure was also used. «She may have inflicted the fatal blows herself» – the investigating officer asked a blasphemous question. No special examination was needed to realize how absurd such an assumption was.How to facilitate the solving of crimes (28 The beating of the detainees in order toJanuary 2009) coerce a confession to crimes which were orAmnesty International: torture and infliction weren’t committed by them is widespreadof bodily injuries has become rampant in practice used by the Turkmen law-Turkmenistan. enforcement agencies. The abuse can take place in an interrogator’s office or in aLate summer in Ashgabat a crime was specially-designated room where the bloodcommitted which shocked everyone who curdling screams cannot be heard.heard about it. A young girl was savagelymurdered by approximately 40 knife wounds, In every office of the Interior Ministry or thesome of them on her back. National Security Ministry both in theThe criminal managed to escape the scene ofthe crime and the police failed to catch him. provinces and in the headquarters there areMoreover, witnesses to the crime were notidentified. experienced «butchers», so-calledThe closest relatives of the murdered girl – her executioners, the mere reference to these isfather and brother – were the first to bechecked by the law-enforcement officers sufficient to make a suspect of a crimewhen the latter initiated the criminalinvestigation. «Confess that you murdered immediately sign a confession.her!» - the police officers pressured theinconsolable father. They attempted to coerce As has been reported by veterans in thethe same confession from the victim’s criminal investigation department, physicalbrother, who had been at university since the abuse is actively applied in those cases whereearly hours during the fatal day. high-ranking officials demand that a delayed and high profile case be finalized promptly orFemale family members also suffered. the crime-solving rate be improved.According to one of the sisters of themurdered girl, she and other adult females In most cases a man, released home afterand young girls from the family were spending several hours in the policesummoned for interrogation and were kept department, may be hospitalized the samethere from early morning till late evening. day. This person may subsequently become disabled, however, he/she would never tell«I was struck on the head with a heavy book, - anybody what he has been through and as arecalls a female relative. As far as I remember, rule, then becomes unsociable.it was a collection of articles from the CriminalCode. They demanded a confession be made Following the example of the high-ranking officials, subordinates in the provinces try to128 use the same methods. If, for instance, cattle or poultry is repeatedly stolen from private farming households or pastures, the law- enforcement officers need to detain at least one person to make him accountable for all

similar crimes which have not been solved objectives – to make a beginner feel a fully-since the start of the year. fledged team member accomplishing a common task, i.e. «trial by fire».«Many unemployed men are engaged in thistype of activity in our village, but I became the Furthermore, in an extreme case – forscapegoat - says a young man, who was example, the death of a person who isrecently released from a detention facility– I subjected to torture and abuse – this allowsjust stole two turkeys from a hen house. In the the blame to be shifted to inexperienced staffpolice department which I was dragged over members who allegedly overdid and failed toto, the officers first tried to force me to estimate their own strength.confess that I stole two bull calves and a cowwith a calf. I refused to do so as I did not steal The law-enforcement agencies inthem. Then they started beating me...» Turkmenistan remain a closed organization untouchable to the press. This implies thatHis heels were beaten with a rubber what is going on today behind closed doors intruncheon, and they used a plastic bottle filled interrogators’ offices, will continue to takewith 1,5 liters of water to hit him on the head place tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.and kidneys. He then confessed to a crime he Any person, regardless of age, gender, degreehad not committed. of involvement in the case may experience all «attractions» associated with methods usedWhen the case was being closed, the during criminal investigation designed toinvestigating officer said: «If you dare to go improve the crime detection rate.back on your word during the trial you and,Lord forbid!, admit that you were abused in Turkmenistan toughens the fight againstthe police department, you will regret it!» «I drug dealers (3 April 2009)blamed myself. I was sentenced to 6 years Turkmen authorities have come to grips withimprisonment. Yet, thanks to Allah one year drug dealers. Over the last 7-8 months, theand three months later I was released from Prosecutor’s Office, the police, and securityimprisonment under amnesty». bodies are almost full time busy with arrests and initiating criminal proceedings againstThe policemen demonstrate greater zeal when drug dealers.a brutal murder is committed in an etrap orvelayat, and the rumors then stir up the For instance, in the Ilyalinsky etrap of theresidents. During the investigation of one of Dashoguz velayat several dozens of personssuch murders committed in Ashagabat over were arrested. Interestingly, among the200 people were arrested and interrogated – arrested drug dealers there were 8 (accordingfamily members, acquaintances, friends, to other sources 18) churchmen.neighbors of the victim – in a nutshell, anyonewho in the slightest degree had anything to do Up until now, when drug dealers werewith the family or anyone who telephoned on arrested, the relatives collected money andthe day the crime was committed or visitedthe house for a minute.Later on many of the suspects (when finally areal murderer was identified) admitted thatthey had been beaten up by the police in anattempt to obtain any information about theoffence.The experienced investigating officers assignyoung staff members to «coerce confessions»from suspects. This is done to pursue two129

went to the capital to «buy out» the detainee. however, the number of people pardonedIf it was not possible to close the criminal each year has dropped roughly twofold.case, they gave the bribes to the judges or,when a person could not avoid detention, No reconstruction or enlargement of old penalthey tried to bribe those in charge of the institutions is conducted in Turkmenistan. Onamnesty lists. As a rule, a drug dealer was the contrary, last summer a building of thereleased fairly soon. prison in the town of Turkmenbashi (BTL-5) was demolished, while the prisoners wereNow it seems that this practice has come to an accommodated in other prisons and colonies.end. Some residents of Dashoguz, who wentto buy out their arrested relatives, came back It goes without saying that the fact that drugwithout them. They were even warned: «If abuse has been acknowledged as an acuteyou don’t want to be behind bars yourself, go social problem and the launch of a seriousaway immediately!» fight against the drug dealers deserve high praise.Currently, in the Dashoguz and Lebap velayats(provinces bordering Uzbekistan), law However, as is often the case, the problem ofenforcers are chasing up the «VICEROY» drug abuse is approached not in a complexcigarettes which are being smuggled from the but in a one-sided manner. No work is carriedneighboring state. However, the smuggling out to eliminate the reasons of mass drugnature of the goods is the least interesting addiction among young people, i.e.point for the law enforcers. These cigarettes unemployment, acute lack of higher andare on open sale: 7500 manat each in secondary special educational establishmentsDashoguz and two times as expensive in and the absence of leisure opportunities forAshgabat. According to law enforcers, the the youth.packs for these cigarettes are often used ascontainers for heroine. In order to find such Overall, these problems lead not only to a rise«cigarettes», special raids on trucks and mini in drug addiction but in criminal activities as abuses are frequently conducted on many whole.roads. Therefore, the construction of plants, factoriesThe dismissal of high ranking officials of the and, unfortunately, the needed penalpolice and prosecutor’s office in the provinces institutions, are more important thanis also attributed by observers to the fight improvement of the capital and building ofagainst drug trafficking. many-star hotels on the Caspian Sea shore.Such active measures of security agencies Otherwise, the struggle with drug dealers canhave brought about results. As local residents turn into an endless and inefficient process.say, drug takers cannot get the drugs even at ahigher price. Fatalities among drug addicts areon the rise.Another outcome of the activities, carried outby law enforcement services, is theovercrowding of penal institutions, colonies,investigation isolators that has also increasedthe mortality rate among prisoners.Under S. Niyazov, between 8 and 10 thousandpersons were amnestied on an annual basis.Now amnesty acts happen more often;130

Closed Department (14 May 2009) Ministry, falls into the category of stateToday we launch a series of publications on secrets. In this situation, the maintenance ofthe topic of restricted access to information the Spokesman’s Office and respective staff inon law enforcement activities. They are kept the structure of the Interior Department looksrestricted from the mass media and, illogical.consequently, from the public. What are the staff of the Spokesman`s OfficeOne can hardly find any information on the and the press groups in the interior ministrywork of law enforcement agencies, and in system involved in if they do not report on theparticular the officers of the Interior Ministry, activities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs?in Turkmen newspapers and magazines. A staff member of the press group of theRegular readers almost forgot newspaper police administration in the Akhal velayat gaveheadings such as «Incidents», «Hotfoot», «02 the following reply confidentially: «Even if weReports», «From the court room», which used do not provide the information to beto be very popular. The reports on successful published in the newspapers and magazines,police operations leading to the arrests of we have tons of paperwork. There isrobbers and swindlers, or the confiscation of something to be reported on each day. Onedrugs, ammunition and other evidence of day we prepare a report for the boss to becommitted crimes would surely rank number presented at the Interior Ministry Board,one among the most read articles. According another day we have our duties as regularto a leading journalist of the national staff. Sometimes we write reports to thenewspaper “Turkmenistan”, the absence of newspapers on… sports competitions, wherereports on the fight against criminal structures the teams of police administration took part,also adds to the fact that Turkmen or on solemn meetings on the occasion ofnewspapers appear boring and uninteresting some significant dates».for the public. The work of policemen remains closed for theYet, the Interior Ministry and all its velayat- professional journalists as well. Nobased structures have special units, press correspondent from a national or velayatservices and officers in charge with an newspaper can go to a police department andoutreach to the public and the mass media. have a look at, for example, yesterday’s reportHowever, either the staff of these press of the crimes committed in the etrap or a city.services are incompetent with regards to No correspondent would ever be allowed nearissues such as covering law enforcement such information!activities, or there is an unspoken law whichbans the disclosure of any operations carried According to a high-ranking official from theout by the interior departments; thus the central apparatus of the Interior Ministry ofTurkmen readers are deprived of this Turkmenistan, the situation with regard toinformation. access to information, related to the activities of police officers, became worse after aActivities of agencies such as Department 6 scandal, which broke out in mid-October(responsible for the fight against organized 2008. A source from the Interior Ministry sayscrime), Department 7 (Internal Security that at that time, the national daily «NeutralDirectorate), the Criminal Investigations Turkmenistan» published an article about aDepartment, the Economic Crime dog, which helped policemen identify drugDepartment, and the Department to Counter traffickers. The incident caused a big scandal.Drug Trafficking remain a sealed secret. Even The article in a national newspaper, which, bythe work of a district police inspector, a dog the way, was a nominee of the award for besthandler or a passport officer is a secret. In journalistic work, devoted to the combatfact, everything related to the activities of the against drug addiction and drug trafficking,Turkmen police, headed by the Interior caused a stir among the senior management131

of the Interior Ministry. The next day, developments and international events. Forfollowing the release of the story of the police instance, TV reporters were strictly prohibitedofficer and his pet, he was dismissed from the to air reports on natural disasters, bloodshedsInterior Department and a week later all units in zones of local conflicts and victims ofand departments of the police received a terrorist acts for Turkmen TV viewers,letter of instruction from the Interior Ministry, broadcast by foreign channels.which prohibited police officers from meetingjournalists and providing them with At the same time, the closed nature of theinformation without a special authorization Interior Ministry system was advantageous forissued by the Spokesman`s Office. the officials of this Ministry. The public could not get either positive information related toAfter this scandal, journalists have become the achievements of Turkmen policemen inunwanted guests in the units and departments the fight against criminality or negativeof the Interior Ministry. «They don`t want to information, related above all to violations ofhave anything to do with us, they are the human rights and freedoms stated in theshunning from us like the plague», says a Universal Declaration of Human Rights and thecorrespondent of a velayat newspaper. «The Constitution of Turkmenistan. The closeddepartment, which used to be restricted nature of the establishment helps interiorbefore, has become absolutely closed now. department officials stop leaking of negativeThe public is deprived of the right to get any information from the agencies of internalinformation from the Interior Ministry and affairs. The established practice of protectingother law enforcement agencies. And when the department from curious journalists madethere is a lack of complete and reliable the investigators and interrogating officersinformation, you know yourself that there is working on criminal cases feel unaccountable.room for rumors and guesses, which in itself Torture of the suspects and accused hasleads to panic and fear». become common practice even in the most remote rural police departments, not toClosed Department - 2 (15 May 2009) mention the butchers, who work with theHaving a closed department is convenient and detainees in the temporary detention isolationprofitable, above all, for the state authorities. unit under the Interior Ministry in Ashgabat.From the times of Saparmurat Niyazov, all The policemen threw off all restraints whenofficial propaganda was based on the they learnt that none of their words andexaltation of the personality cult of the moves would go public, and consequently,country’s leader and the nation’s wealth, would not be discussed or condemned. Thisreigning in the country of Turkmenbashi. In was followed by a rapid rise in the crimethis situation just imagine what would happen detection rate. Under S. Niyazov, the crimeif in the general context of the «country’s detection rate amounted to almost 100% of allprosperity, stability and well-being of the offences committed in the country.people» a newspaper publishes informationabout a detained drug dealer or a robber! The irony of this was that while the detectionFrom the ideology of Turkmenbashi, this rate was so high, the criminal rate was in nonegative information could cast a shadow over way decreasing.all official propaganda and cause doubts aboutthe prosperity and stability. This is how a former high-ranking Interior Ministry official commented on this fact:At that time, Turkmenbashi prohibited all local «There is nothing odd about it. The eventsmass media from releasing any information follow a simple scenario. For instance, a dozenwhich, in his opinion, could «darken the happy cases of cattle and poultry robberies fromlife of the Turkmenistani citizens and spoil backyards happened in the etrap. Thetheir high spirits». The presidential ban complaints are filed with the police. Some ofconcerned both information on internal them are simply not registered. When the132

number of robberies reaches critical numbers, Gurbanbibi Atadjanova – was sentenced to athe Criminal Investigations Department lengthy term in prison.together with a district police inspector carryout a raid and detain one thief. The Under Berdymukhamedov, there is no suchDepartment has a so-called “pressing hut”, open enmity between the law enforcementwhere the detainee is subject to torture and structures. However, this does not mean thatbeating and he is forced to admit to all the there are no interdepartmental fights. Due tocrimes in the etrap related to the stealing of this continuing fight, facts of corruption,the cattle and poultry. In other words, all arbitrariness and unlawfulness are disclosedcrimes in this category are blamed on this and they can be seen behind the short linespoor wretch, thus ensuring 100% crime from the presidential decrees «due to thedetection in the department. The chiefs and actions, incompatible with the post andmost active officers receive new posts and discrediting the rank, to withdraw the officerpromotions while the number of thieves rank and deprive of all benefits and privilegesdecreases by 1 person only». stipulated for the officers of the law enforcement agencies, and to dismiss fromBy keeping the activities of the Interior the military…». It is not reported whatMinistry, the Ministry of National Security, offences or actions the officer has beenProsecutor`s Office and kazyet (court) a secret accused of. This continues to be a secret.from the public, S. Niyazov gave the greenlight to arbitrariness and unlawfulness for the However, rumors are in the air. Despite theentire law enforcement system in the country. strictest ban to communicate with journalists,At the same time, the law enforcement information sometimes leaks from the Interstructures turned into a many-headed hydra, Ministry sources. Rumours spread quickly and,whose heads are ready, as the occasion offers, as normally happens, information isto eat each other off. Turkmenbashi alone had exaggerated to incredible degrees. This wasthe right to disclose the information about this the case, for instance, case with the skirmishor that law enforcement structure. S. Niyazov in the outskirts of the drinking water plantsometimes played off these structures against «Cheshme». For the first several days, theeach other, and then the public got authorities kept silent while rumors wereinformation about the misdeeds of the law repeated about the «attack of a large armedenforcers. wahhabites` group», «on drug dealers», «on a lone ranger called Ajdar who stepped forwardMany remember the events of early 2002, against the police arbitrariness toward hiswhen S. Niyazov gave an order to the Interior family members».Ministry and the Office of Prosecutor Generalto sort through with the Ministry of National The latest rumor is the imprisonment of high-Security Officials. At that time, Interior ranking police officials in the DashoguzMinister Poran Berdyev and Prosecutor velayat: G. Paltayev, deputy head of theGeneral Gurbanbibi Atadjanova sneered at the Directorate of Internal Affairs and a deputyMNS officials who were convicted to long head of the local office of the Interiorterms of imprisonment. Later, the Interior Department of the city of Dashoguz.Ministry itself was subjected to cleansing –MNS officers and prosecutors did a good job What offence have the two deputy headsand put all senior management of the Interior committed? As expected, there were noMinistry in prison. Before his death, S. Niyazov official reports on this on behalf of theset the Ministry of National Security at the Spokesman Services of the Directorate ofOffice of Prosecutor General. The people Internal Affairs and the Interior Ministry. Andlearnt about the facts of arbitrariness and the rumours go on that the arrest of the twounlawfulness flourishing in the Prosecutor’s police officials is allegedly the resumption ofOffice. The chief of the department - the undeclared war between the Interior133

Ministry, Ministry of National Security and the enforcement agencies, he inherited from S.Office of the Prosecutor General. Niyazov. At least, he demonstrates some attempts to improve the situation.Closed Department – 3 (22 May 2009) Berdymukhamedov created a StateA veteran of Turkmen journalism 80 Commission on considering citizens`y.o.Yashuli Durdy-aga compares the situation complaints against law enforcement agenciesin the Interior Ministry, Ministry of National and Supreme Control Chamber ofSecurity and other law enforcement structures Turkmenistan; he changed the heads of allclosed from the public with an abscess. «If an power structures and the chairman of theabscess is not treated surgically, it may lead to Supreme Court. However, all these area total infection of the body», he thinks. administrative measures, which cannot solve the problems.In this particular case, the notion «body»means a society which consists of individuals. While the law enforcement agencies remainThe époque of Turkmenbashi will be closed to the press and control by theremembered, above all, as the époque of Turkmen society, they will continue to be thepersecutions, and arbitrary behavior of the main violators of citizens` rights andpolice, prosecution and court systems with freedoms.regard to suspects, those accused andsentenced to imprisonment. Nobody knows Closed authority, or why the minister hasthe exact number of innocent people, who been dismissed (10 June 2009)went through the circles of the Niyazov`s On 29 May during the visiting session of therepressive machine and were killed or maimed State Security Council of Turkmenistan, whichfor life. was held in the premises of the Interior Ministry, President G. BerdymukhamedovIn any locality, one can easily hear of the voiced some concerns about the corruption ofname of a person who has been killed or police officers and then, after having listenedsuffered because of police and prosecution to the report of the Prosecutor General,arbitrariness. In Dashoguz, for instance, dismissed the Minister of Internal Affairs fromeveryone still recalls the mysterious death of his post.the Dashoguz department store’s directorBatyr Djumaev, who had been summoned to In fact, the visiting session of the Statethe Prosecutor’s office on the criminal case of Security Council, which focused on the mess inhis high-ranking relative Redjep Saparov, the system of the interior affairs offormer head of the presidential Turkmenistan, was held already after theadministration. B. Djumaev, who was quite article «Closed Department» had beenyoung (45 y. o.) and looked quite healthy published. This session and the facts raisedpassed away after interrogation. Nobody during the meeting have in fact confirmed allknows what happened to him in the Office of that had been written in the article.Prosecutor General. Today we will inform on another large shadySuch cases give rise to fears in the society in deal at the state level, in which high rankingfront of the punitive system, inherited by G. police officials were directly involved. TheBerdymukhamedov from S. Niyazov. These President learnt about it from thefears are synthesized in the words which are presentation of the Prosecutor General Ch.most commonly used in a discussion on a Khodjamyradov at the above-mentionedpolice topic: «Save, Allah, from falling into the meeting. Unfortunately, the Turkmenhands of Turkmen policemen...». television did not broadcast this speech to the Turkmen viewers. An insider, who attendedThe current President of Turkmenistan G. the Security Council session, helped usBerdymukhamedov apparently realizes what reconstruct the meeting.problems, related to the activities of law134

On the top of it all, it should be recalled that delicate request to put a stamp on thesince February 2008, owners of private motor «completed» technical check up. It goesvehicles in Turkmenistan have been receiving without saying that the service, rendered bygasoline and diesel free of charge. According the head of the traffic police was paid: it costto the new rules, the owners of the cars between 2 - 2,5 million manats ( $140 - $175).receive coupons for 120 liters of gas per If you ask why the owner of the non-existentmonth free of charge. The coupons are issued car would like to make a forgery and pay sotwice a year: from mid-December – for the much money? The answer is simple: the carfirst half of the next year and from mid-June – owner also does not sell to disadvantage asfor the second half. Thus, each owner of a car the market price of 1420 liters of free gasolinereceives 1420 liters of free gasoline per year. A-95, received per year, amounts to 4,2 million manats ( $295), therefore there areAlong with the introduction of coupons for good profits to be made.free gas, the authorities deregulated prices forthe fuel. Those, who ran out of the restricted According to the data, provided by thequantity of free gasoline (normally private taxi Ministry of National Security and thedrivers and long distance drivers), bought gas Prosecutor’s Office, who conducted theabove the limit at a price 10 times higher than inspection, dozens of owners of non-existentit used to cost before February 2008. transport means took part in this simple combination. In the Dashoguz velayat alone,The introduction of restrictions on free hundreds of cases of forgery in the publicgasoline and its almost ten-fold price increase office, carried out by the chiefs of the etrapled to many rumors. Those, who have no cars, police offices in charge of respective stamps,expressed their discontent. «Why, if I have no have been revealed. As a result of thesecar, am I not entitled to free gasoline?!» asked swindles, the state suffered a damage ofthe «disadvantaged» citizens with indignation. hundreds of millions of manats.«This means that those who are poor andhave no cars get nothing while the rich, who The sum of the damage is not final as theare able to buy their own cars, are also Ministry of National Security and thegranted the gasoline for free! This is a very Prosecutor’s Office only carried out a randomodd social policy». inspection of the technical check-up procedure for motor vehicles and motorcyclesWhatever it is, the drivers get free gasoline in at the diagnostic station. Following the resultsaccordance with the restriction norms. All of this, the heads of the traffic police offices,they are required to do is to pass the technical who allowed for the abuse of the office andcheck, make copies of their passport and the forgery, have been dismissed from thetechnical registration of the vehicle, and pick structures of the internal affairs and someup coupons in the local office of the criminal cases have been initiated againstDaikhanbank State Commercial bank. them. Those, who received the coupons for free gasoline for the non-existent motorHowever, as it is normally the case, there vehicle, are required to either return thewere smart cookies who tried to get around illegally received coupons, or compensate forthe existing rules on free gasoline allotment. the cost of the fuel.Among them were traffic police officers. However, as the insider argues, the PresidentUpon the advance agreement with the owners was not so much concerned with the sum ofof the out-of-order vehicles (which were in the damage caused but with the fact that suchfact out of operation), police officers put actions of the police officers discredit his ideastamps confirming the good technical of the allotment of the free gasoline to thecondition of these cars. As a rule, the owner of citizens in possession of transport means.the phantom motor vehicle went up to thehead of the traffic control service with the135

Moreover, after the disclosure of such facts, The salaries of the senior officers and chiefs ofrumors were circulated among drivers that the the etrap`s police offices amount to 5-5,5 mlncoupons and the limits on free gas would be manats ( $350- $380), while junior officerssoon abolished and the price for the fuel receive less than $200. These are verywould be fixed at 1000 non-denominated insignificant sums, particularly taking intomanats (20 tenge in new manats) per liter. In account the regime of their work. It is obviousother words, the population started having that some police officers try to compensatedoubts about the consistency of the social their labor costs at the cost of the citizens,policies carried out by the authorities. extorting bribes on any occasion. And their bosses, aware of that, require their share.This caused the dismissal of another ministerof internal affairs. It is hard to break this chain of corruption and extortion that hog-tie the Ministry of InternalLet us recall the chronology of the rotation of Affairs, particularly by the mere replacementministers in this authority: of the ministers or personnel managers.- 9 April 2007. А.Rakhmanov was replaced byKh. Annagurbanov; Certainly, the state needs to increase the- 8 October 2007. Kh. Annagurbanov was salaries of the police staff and to improve theirreplaced by O. Amnmyradov; working conditions. However, the most- 29 May 2009. O. Amnmyradov was replaced efficient tool to combat corruption is theby I. Mulikov. transparency of the activities conducted by the law enforcement agencies. The InteriorThus, Iskander Mulikov is already the fourth Ministry should become transparent tointerior minister during the short period of G. criticism and public control.Berdymukhamedov` reign Happy new cult! (9 September 2009)Meanwhile, the dismissed traffic police Artist to an artist: - Look, my friend: we willofficers have been replaced by new people never be unemployed! - Why? - Because thewho emerged from the same environment as President’s portraits have to be changed intheir predecessors. Therefore, there is little accordance with the color of his tie. - Correct;hope that such swindles with regard to free just as they had to change the portraits ingas or other things in the Ministry of Internal accordance with Turkmenbashi’s hair colorAffairs of Turkmenistan will not be repeated. before.To be fair, the status of interior officers This anecdote about the currentthemselves should be mentioned. Being Turkmenistan`s President is a hint of theprotectors of the law, they are absolutely nascent personality cult. And the recent eventwithout any rights. Their usual working day that occurred in the home village of thestarts at 8 am and ends after 10 pm, excluding President – Yzgant viilage of the Geokteperegular duties, special operations and lectureson politics, which could be held on the daysoff.«Due to the fact that we have private cellphones, we cannot have some rest and spendtime with our families even on the rare daysoff»., complains an officer of the criminalinvestigation department of the velayat`sinterior office. «Wherever I am, even in theremote village visiting my parents, I canalways be reached on my cell phone andrequired to come to the office».136

etrap (Akhal velayat) – also indicates that this by Turkmenbashi but by Gurbangulyis not just beginning but already gaining Berdymukhamedov, who at that time was themomentum. minister of health care!»Here, at the solemn ceremony a new school Whatever it was, on the holiday, nobody evenwas opened and what name, do you think it recalled S. Niyazov, and all honors were givenwas given? No, so far not that of the President to the current President, and this did not sliphimself but of his grandfather – the attention of those, who are following theBerdymukhamet Annayev. However, this is situation in Turkmenistan.just a start, a small move toward a largerpersonality cult. Mass media had a special role in praising the merits of the previous serdar (leader) and hisWhile S. Niyazov was an orphan and none of exaltation. Now they again initiate thehis family members was present at the establishment of the new cult. At least,opening of different sorts of monuments, newspapers, TV and radio journalists weredevoted to his deceased parents and siblings, instructed not to mention the name of theBerymukhamedov has a complete family. So previous president at all but instead to talkas the State Information Agency of about the merits of the current leader.Turkmenistan reports, the President’s father,Myalikguly Berymukhamedov was present at It is now allowed to call G. Berdymukhamedovthe ceremony in Yzgant and for the first time with such epithets such as «dear son of theduring his nearly three years in office, local Turkmen people», «our patron». Pop and folkmass media started mentioning the names singers more and more often call him:and merits of the ancestors of Gurbanguly «mehriban (dear) president», «adyl jurtbashi»Myalikgulyevich. (just leader of the state), «dear son of the Turkmen people», «our great patron»,Similarly to this, mass media used to praise «arkadag» (backbone of the nation),the parents of S. Niyazov to high heaven: – a «khovandar» (benefactor), etc.simple cotton weaver Gurbansoltan and a RedArmy man Atamurat, who died during the Discussing the situation, an officer from theGerman capture. In an easy state of mind, the passport department in a Turkmen city stated:court scribblers set the path to compare the «I am horrified to think about the time whenmother of Niyazov Kaaba (sanctuary) of all geographical sites will be re-named. LookingTurkmens, while the father was called as at the increasing amount of puffery and morealmost the only fighter in all military battles. and more pompous meetings of the President on the sites, this time is near and our«Now all are simply waiting for the reaction of workload with the new names of theBerdymukhamedov to assigning his residential places will increase».grandfather’s name to the school», says aprincipal of a rural school in the Dashoguz Another characteristic of Berdymukhamedov`svelayat. «If he silently approves this, a large era is that the favorite songs contest of hiscompany on assigning his relatives` names to predecessor «Yanlan, Diyarym!», which usednew objects in Turkmenistan will be to be fully devoted to Saparmaratlaunched». Turkmenbashi, is now changing its orientation: all participants should devote one song to theA doctor, who was actively working in the new époque now and directly to the new1980s-1990s, notes another fact: «Recently nation’s leader.we celebrated the 14th anniversary of thelaunch of the Saglyk (Health) State The plays devoted to «Avaza» (grandioseProgramme. We always considered S. Niyazovthe author of this program. Today we found recreational zone project –out that this program had been developed not Berdymukhamedov`s favorite baby) are being137 staged. A small brochure on medical plants of

Turkmenistan, authored by the natural split of conscripts based on ethnic grounds.Berdymukhamedov, is presented by local For instance, if the Mary residents of Tekinmass media and other conformist apple- ethnicity are predominant in the military unit, then the representatives from other velayatspolishers as a masterpiece of the will have a hard time. Or vice versa: if yomuds from the Dashoguz or Balkan velayats getpharmaceutical and medical science and as a control of the situation in the military unit, the Tekin-origin inhabitants from Akhal or Maryserious work which significantly contributes to are unlikely to enjoy the military service...the world science… During the drafting campaign, officials from the Ministry of Defense in the provinces andSo we are all becoming live witnesses of the the military commissariats are trying to securenew cult originating in Turkmenistan. the ethnic and territorial balance in order toTurkmenistani citizens managed to survive prevent potential ethnicity-driven clashes.one personality cult, though at the cost ofgreat losses. Let us see what awaits us However, they do not always succeed. If thetomorrow? balance is violated, wide-scale fights between conscripts of various ethnic groups occur.Here is your call-up paper! (7 October Moreover, cases of desertion, self-injuries and2009) suicide attempts have been reported. TheStarting from October 1 a call for a regular soldiers from such dysfunctional military units,autumn military draft will be announced. The or to be more precise, their bodies arerelevant order was signed by the President retuned to their home towns in zinc coffins.mid September. The reports on hazing, the beating of soldiersThe order triggered a genuine joy among the by officers, suicide cases among recruits andesgers (soldiers) doing their compulsory other negative phenomena are nevermilitary service in the military units of the published in the print media as they areMinistry of Defense, the Interior Ministry, the treated as classified information.National Security Ministry, the State BorderGuard and Migration Services as well as the Hazing is by far not the only problem facingSecurity Service of the Turkmen President and the Turkmen army. The health, or to be moresuffering from such a phenomenon as precise, the poor health of draft-age young”hazing”. In other words, the newly-recruited men is the scourge of the medical inspectionconscripts are humiliated by older soldiers in commissions which make up qualifyingevery possible way. evaluations for would-be conscripts.Hazing in the Turkmenistan’s armed forces is “Virtually all recruits from the latest springno different from the same phenomenon in draft have undergone treatment in ourother countries but at the same time has its hospital, - a health care practitioner form aown unique features. The most burning and medical institution under the jurisdiction ofpainful feature of the Turkmen-style hazing is the Ministry of Defense spoke under conditions of anonymity. – Once the draftees138 are constrained with daily hardships of military service, the chronic diseases are aggravated, and they are taken to in-patient facilities”.

According to the above-mentioned physician, which would enrol conscripts on a voluntarythe call-up commissions are doing more basis with the subsequent conclusion of athorough medical checks compared to in contract with the Ministry of Defence.Niyazov’s times. They are screening the However, neither the President nor membersconscripts to check their health conditions in of Parliament are regrettably even consideringan attempt to detect such serious ailments as the possible transfer of armed forces to acardiac malfunctions, herniated disks, contractual relationship.ulcerative colitis and other diseases. Traffic police at work (21 October 2009)Compared to Niyazov’s presidency, the Turkmens have a saying: «baigushyngnutrition for recruits is better arranged. Now rysgaly», that means that «the owl will notyou will not witness thin guys in worn-out stay without a catch». However, thismilitary uniforms begging for alms. But it interesting saying is often used not referringwould be wrong to state that the conscripts to the night hawk but to the people withare well-fed and happy. swabs, who take advantage of the system of absolute bans existing in the country. These“My son joined the army absolutely healthy, - «favorable» conditions are very efficientlysays the mother of the soldier who was used by the transport police officers.demobilized last year. – He served just 12months after graduating from university and A resident of Dashoguz, named Tamara, isthroughout the year he developed engaged in the so-called «train» business.gastrointestinal problems. Now he is Virtually every day she fries pirozhki (Rus.-undergoing a course of treatment”. pies), buys several packs with soft drinks and takes the passenger train heading fromPoorly-cooked food, a scarce and monotonous Dashoguz to Ashgabat.diet and constant hunger in no way contributeto a conscientious military service. While the distance from Dashoguz to the nearest station Gerogly (former Takhta village)Parents do their best to support their sons in in a straight line is 15 km, the road sets a slightevery possible way by trying to locate their compass and the Turkmen trains cannot bedistant relatives close to the military units called superfast. So it takes the train morewho could host the young men at least for the than an hour to get to Gerogly. During thisweekends or on a regular basis travel to the time, Tamara manages to sell the passengers amilitary unit to bring them home-made food. bowl of hot pies and drinks. Her daily income amounts to 15-20 manats (about $5-$7) andIn other Central Asia countries there are «net profit», as she says, is less than half ofseveral options for the military service. In this sum – 6-8 manats.neighboring Uzbekistan the length of militaryservice is 12 months whereas for universitygraduates this can be reduced to 9 months.Those drafted from Kyrgyzstan have a choice.Like in Turkmenistan, they may choose toserve for 2 years or may be enrolled in a one-month training camp intensive course andlater obtain a military ID by paying a 300-dollar fee to the Ministry of Defense. Theoverwhelming majority of Kyrgyz young mengo for the second option.The Turkmen young men of drafting age aswell as their parents want their neutralcountry to introduce a professional army139

The distance from Dashoguz to the capital, with the conductor and take a train without awhich is slightly more than 500 km, takes ticket. A part of the money paid to theunder 18 hrs. According to Tamara, conductor for the free travel is paid by thepassengers buy the food and drinks rather latter to the policemen.quickly. However, she along with her“business colleagues” have to pay a certain Bans for smoking in public spaces or using nassum to the officers of the Line Internal Affairs (local specie of tobacco) are anotherDepartment, otherwise the latter will not opportunity for back-alley policemen. Aallow them on the train. Normally Tamara person, who smokes, can hardly stay withoutpays 3-4 manats to the «guardians of order», smoking 18 hours and policemen are aware ofi.e. half of their income. that. Those caught at the «crime» site by a policeman prefer to pay a sum, which is lessThough there are many sellers like Tamara than a legal penalty. The penalty is very high –and they are selling not only food and drinks 50 manats; however, one can always pay abut also clothes, books (no newspapers and policemen 10 manats without drawing upmagazines as there are no foreign editions and protocol and other formalities. Interestingly,the local ones are hard to sell) and other there is also a penalty for those, who like togoods, it is not them who contribute the most nibble sunflower seeds – 5 manats. The latterto the major income of the police. also prefer to pay less money to a policeman than the entire penalty sum.The major «income» of the policemen isbrought by the shuttle traders – people who The established system of bans creates abring goods and foods by boxes and bags from situation, in which bribes are advantageousthe rich capital to the provinces. Since the both for those who violate the law (the oneprice for the freight traffic is significantly who pays) and those, who «guard» the lawhigher than the passenger trains, the traders (the one who takes).prefer to transport their goods on their own.They stick their goods in all the passage ways, Hunger fainting before the parade (29aisles, and vestibules of the passenger cars by October 2009)paying not only the conductor, who turns a During rehearsals of the parade, many of theblind eye to the violation of norms of the cadets of the Police Academy named afterpassenger carriage in the trains but also to the General of Army S. Niyazov fainted. Initially,officer of the Line Internal Affairs Department. the administration of the Academy consideredIn this situation the saying “If you don`t grease it as an attempt to avoid the long hours ofthe wheels the car won`t go” is particularly exhausting marching. However, the cadetstrue. Or one can go but without the goods. were not pretending.Under the threat of carrying extra luggage and As usual, on 27 October, the Day ofconfiscation of the goods, the traders have to Independence of Turkmenistan, the cadets ofpay bribes to the police. The traders comprise the Academy together with military units andabout 70-80% of the train`s passengers andeach of them pays a policemen an equivalentof $2-$4.The police also charge the train assistants forconcealing passengers, who travel without aticket or those who travel without documents.Due to the high prices for airplane tickets,there is a great demand for train tickets now,so it is not an easy thing to buy a ticket for thedeparting train, but one can always negotiate140

bodies of other power structures, solemnly The next day following the incident, the cadetsmarch in front of the main stage in Ashgabat. were given the full ration: eggs and butter,This tradition of demonstrating the might and and a well-nourished ration from severalskills of the Turkmen officers was established dishes and compote for lunch. The faintingback in Turkmenbashi times. stopped. Fortunately for the administration of thePreparations for the parade start long in Academy, mass faints occurred a few daysadvance. The cadets had rehearsed marching prior to the parade and not during the paradeon the square for almost a month. Marching itself.took place during all free time outside of Nothing is reported in the Turkmen massclasses and even late at night before going to media about the incident and measuresbed. In mid-November, some young cadets employed with regard to the embezzlers ofstarted fainting right on the square. the food products.Despite the threats of being dismissed from Bribes paid for pilgrimage to Mecca (13the Academy addressed by the commanders November 2009)to the «simulators», the number of those By preventing the citizens from making thefainting increased every day. When during a annual pilgrimage to the Islamic shrines inroutine rehearsal 23 cadets fainted one after Mecca and Medina, the country`s Presidentthe other, the administration of the Academy deprived the religious officials of a significantgot worried. They rushed to investigate the income.reasons for such mass faints. The entire Since Niyazov`s times, the Turkmenmedical service was dragged out. authorities have been trying to limit the circle of people, who are allowed to undertake theThe true reason was uncovered quickly. As Hajj. Every year, only 188 pilgrims (i.e. thewas discovered, the young men were kept passenger capacity of one aircraft), wereunderfed. Half hungry cadets simply could not allowed to do the pilgrimage to Mecca andendure this coupled with endless trainings on Medina. This is despite the fact that Saudithe square. As was found out during the Arabia allows Turkmenistan to send 3-4investigation, the nutrition of the cadets of thousand persons.the Police Academy was so poor and lacking incalories, that the officers conducting theinspections were horrified. Most of theportions of meat, butter, eggs, rice and otherroducts, intended for the cadets, were stolenby those in charge of the kitchen supplies aswell as by the cooks themselves.\"Many guys became so thin that it was painfulto look at them”, says a father of one of thecadets. “It is prohibited to use mobile phonesinside the premises of the Academy, so weonly learnt that the cadets were fainting onSundays, when they are allowed to leave forfour hours. I asked my son how well they arefed in the Academy. What I heard made myhair stand on end. For breakfast the cadetswere offered only bread which was well pastits best and sugared green tea. For lunch anddinner – clear soup without meat and barleyporridge. No meat is included in the dailyration \".141

Any restriction was beneficial for the officials. not just once but several times. Well-beingSome of them even established their own citizens, who do not consider a bribe of 1,5-2«business» based on the restrictions. In other thousand dollars a lot of money havewords, in order to be included in the 188 performed hajj repeatedly. This makes others,people, bribes were demanded. The sum of who have been patiently waiting for the trip tothe bribe was also known: USD 1500 – 2000. Mecca for years, very confused.«The Muslims perform Hajj to take The fact that not everything is runningcommunion and pray for their past sins», says smoothly in the muftiet of Turkmenistan or ina representative of the clergy of the Birat the councils on religious matters under theetrap in the north-east of the country, who President and velayat`s khyakims, and not allwished to remain anonymous, with representatives of the clergy are involved inindignation. «And these people are funny business is indirectly confirmed byintentionally performing not just a sin but a regular staff reshuffles. R. Allaberdiev, thereal crime. They are not even afraid of divine chief mufti of the country, was demoted andretribution». appointed chief imam in the northern Dashoguz velayat, while the chief imam of theRumors about the bribes to be paid in order to Dashoguz velayat M. Akyev was appointed tobe included on the sacred list of 188 names the same position in the Balkan velayat.have been circulating among the TurkmenMuslims for a long time. However, many Observers compare the personnel leapfrogs inpeople refused to believe it, as they were the muftiet with similar reshuffles ofconvinced that for such a sacred issue the very prosecutors and judges, who after working inthought of giving or taking a bribe was the same office for a long time and havingprofane! built up a network of connections and needy acquaintances, set up a similar system of«For a long time I refused to be included on bribery. However, similar to the case ofthe list of people who were going to Saudi prosecutors and judges, nobody canArabia», says a resident of the Akdepe village guarantee that imams and religious officialsin the Dashoguz velayat. «Every year I was will stop taking bribes when they change theirtold that I didn’t make it but that next year I work place. In Turkmenistan corruption haswould be the first on the list. When the next penetrated all spheres of life, so it is really ayear came, the velayat`s council on religious heroic act to withdraw from temptation.matters considered my application, but I wasstill not put on the list. Only after 3 years of As far as the pilgrimage to Mecca iswaiting I managed but this only happened concerned, the way to the Muslim holy placesafter listening to someone’s advice. I followed is not absolutely closed. Those, who want tohis instructions, paid 1,5 thousand to an perform hajj on an individual basis, can do itagent, who, as I learnt later, acted jointly with through the tourist agencies. It should bean official from the council on religious noted, however, that such a trip costs morematters, and all my problems disappeared on than a bribe of $2000.their own». «But this is better and more honest», says aThere are also other facts indicating that the resident of the Keshi village in the outskirts ofstatus of hajj (i.e. a person who performed Ashgabat. «While the money used to behajj) can be obtained by paying. For instance, channeled to officials as bribes, now it isthere are thousands of those willing to payment for the services of tourist agencies».perform this ritual while in reality fewer than200 persons actual go. In this situation it is However, instead of trips to Mecca andincredibly hard to get on to the pilgrims list. Medina, most of Turkmenistani citizens willHowever, there are people in every velayat now go on pilgrimages to sacred placeswho were «lucky» to be included on this list located in Turkmenistan. This is stated in a142

document signed by the President of the Neither do they receive pensions or socialcountry. The place «Аk ishan» in the Akhal benefits.velayat will be the first on the list, where aspecial sacrificial ceremony will be performed So once the subscription is completed,by G. Berdymukhamedov in person. postmen start delivering the periodicals, enforced on the citizens. Do the forcedThe local humorists joke: «The document says subscribers read these newspapers, which allnothing about whether religious officials, who look like incubator chickens? A short polltook bribes for the organization of hajj, will be showed that people of the old generation doamong the sacrificial lambs». not read newspapers due to the Latin script. As was discovered, young people are also notUsing newspapers (2 December 2009) interested in newspapers.It is hard to find people who would volunteerto subscribe to newspapers and magazines in «What should we read then?», «AllTurkmenistan. Mass subscription to newspapers are the same», «The articlesperiodicals is implemented by force. In some published in today’s newspapers wereorganizations of the Lebap and Dashoguz discussed on TV yesterday», these are thevelayats, where officials are known for their answers given by 20-30 y.o. respondents.particular zeal in executing the instructionsfrom above, employees are given the option: Schoolchildren said that «they have no time toeither you subscribe to three periodicals, or read school text books, so there is no time leftyou sign your application for dismissal. to read newspapers and magazines, and thereNaturally, people choose the lesser of the two is no desire to either».evils. «In my family we do not read newspapers,In some organizations, employees are even says Begli-aga, 50 y.o., a resident ofnot asked what newspaper they would like to Khodjambaz. «The postman delivers them andsubscribe to. Everything is done in a simple we place them in the storage room». «It is amanner. The secretary of the local office of pity to throw them away; we paid money forthe Democratic Party or representative of a them», adds the man. «We keep them for thetrade union (depending upon what toi (family celebrations, where numerousorganization is in charge of running the guests are invited). Then we use thesubscription campaign) takes the list of newspapers as tablecloths or wrapping sachakemployees with their home addresses and (left-overs, normally flat cakes, a handful offollowing the instruction from above, takes bogursaks, or sweets)».out a subscription for about 150-170 thousandmanats ($10-$12). The employee learns about Later, Begli-aga recalled another use forit the day he/she gets his/her salary slip, when newspapers: using them in WCs as toileta certain sum is missing. When he/she asks paper. Now a roll of toilet paper of low qualitywhy the sum is lower, he gets a subscription costs 5-6 thousand in old manats. Not everycertificate. Sometimes the postman delivers 2- family can afford this, therefore, newspapers3 copies of the same newspaper to the same are widely used for this purpose.family: A daughter who is a teacher at school,a son who is a builder, and the daughter-in- «And all newspapers have portraits andlaw, who is a nurse in hospital, are then statements of the President in them!» - addssubscribed to the same newspaper. our companion meaningfully.The unemployed and sellers at the markets,i.e. those who do not sign for their salaries,cannot be forced by the authorities tosubscribe to newspapers and magazines.143

Coupons for free gasoline (24 December speaking, this causes discontent not only2009) among the \"horseless\" Turkmen citizens butCities and villages in Turkmenistan are facing a also among those who take advantage of G.new boom: the authorities started distributing Berdymukhamedov’s present to them.coupons for free gasoline for the first half of2010. Thousands of private vehicles owners Receiving the coupons gets more and moreare storming the sites where the coupons are complicated every year. If in early 2008 inbeing issued. Frayed nerves and lost time are order to get the long-awaited gasolinethe price to be paid for the free gasoline. coupons it was sufficient to show copies of your passport and the relevant vehicleThe gasoline became free of charge for the registration papers from the traffic inspectionpopulation starting in 2008. By fixing authorities, now a new initiative has beenrestrictions on free gasoline, the authorities introduced. The owners of cars, motorcycles,increased the price by about 10 times for fuel, tractors and buses are obliged to take theirwhich can be bought above this limit. vehicles to a special check point, where the traffic inspectors have to check whether theFor instance, the limit for a personal vehicle is numbers on the motor and chassis correspondcalculated on the basis of 120 liters per to those indicated on the registration paper.month. Thus, the owners of the vehicles Only after this and upon receipt of thereceive coupons for 720 liters once every six respective certificate, can the owner go to themonths. The norm, allotted for motorcycles is counters of the Daikhanbank and receive thesmaller; and is higher for private trucks and coupons.mini buses. Introduction of this innovation has led toIf Turkmenistani citizens own no transport overcrowding in both the technical check-upmeans, they receive nothing. According to the stations and the places where the couponslatter, this is discrimination as distributing were being issued. People have to wait fornatural resources divides the citizens into two hours for the inspectors to check that theunequal categories. symbols and digits indicated on the engine correspond to the technical data.A resident of the city of Abadan, a 40 y.o. mannamed Kadyberdy expressed the general It should be noted that the introduction ofopinion of the Turkmen people, who have no these additional measures did have sometransport of their own, stating that the rational explanation. In 2008 and the first halfauthorities should pay them compensation of 2009, there were serious violations whenequivalent to the cost of the free gasoline. hundreds of thousands of tons of fuel were«Then it will be fair», says Kadyberdy. illegally received by those, who were not entitled to them.However, let us come back to the system ofissuing coupons for free gasoline. Frankly How did this happen? The heads of check144 points of the traffic inspection stamped the technical coupons, thus certifying the operability of the vehicle. However, they most certainly did this for bribes and never even saw the vehicle at all. According to the representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office, mass violations took place in the Dashoguz and Mary velayats, where greedy traffic police officers put stamps even on the technical coupons of those vehicles, which were completely out of order. The cars

were so old that all that remained were their «If before, when a policeman detained atechnical coupons. Following the inspection, person with one gram of drugs, the whole unitconducted jointly by the Ministry of National laughed at him because of such a smallSecurity and the Prosecutor’s Office, dozens of amount of the confiscated drug, nowtraffic inspection managers were reprimanded detention of the drug dealer even with such aor were dismissed from their posts; and many small amount of drugs is considered a successof them were brought to trial. After the by the management», says an officer of thedisclosure of these violations, the authorities illicit drug trafficking unit.decided to complicate the vehicle check-upprocess and the procedure of issuing coupons According to him, over the past two years,for free gasoline. officers of the new State Service conducted a large-scale «cleansing operation», thus leavingNow, the places where the technical check-up the respective departments of the police andand the issue of coupons are conducted are Ministry of National Security without a job.overcrowded. In some cities, traffic inspectorshave to put up temporary road signs, which A reduction in drugs trafficking and use isban the entry to the places of coupons issue. particularly seen when compared with Niyazov`s times, when drug-addiction reachedIn a bid to eliminate any attempts of illegal a scale of national disaster and created a realdistribution of free gasoline, local authorities threat to the gene pool of the nation. In someare going to complicate again the procedures regions, particularly in villages on the borderof transport vehicles check up and coupons with Afghanistan in the south and withissue. There are rumors that a residence Uzbekistan in the north and north-east of thecertificate will be soon required in order to country, many women became addicted toreceive the gasoline. drugs along with men. This resulted in the birth of a great many children withAll this – overcrowding, quarreling and physiological and psychological problems.shouting in the places where the coupons areissued - discredit the originally good intentions A narcologist from Mary welcomes the movesof the authorities to provide free gasoline to aimed to eliminate drugs in the country and,the people. \"There is always free cheese in a in turn, suggests changing the attitudes of themouse trap”, says a resident of the authorities toward the drug takers: «WeKopetdagsky etrap of Ashgabat in a fit of should not consider them criminals; they aretemper, holding the new gasoline coupons. sick people, who need assistance.“Who counts how many nerves and how much Unfortunately, the present system oftime I have wasted on these damned treatment, rehabilitation and return of thesecoupons\"... individuals to a normal life does not meet the up-to-date requirements. The conditions ofDrugs are running low (11 March 2010) patients` stay in narcological clinics andFollowing the establishment of the State occupational therapy rehabilitation centersService on Combating Drugs, the authorities of are much worse than those of colonies withTurkmenistan, by G. Berdymukhamedov`s the strict regimes».initiative, launched a relentless fight againstdrugs. The amount of drugs in the country has As the current situation shows, the problemindeed decreased. cannot be solved only by confiscations, arrests of drug dealers and sending drug addicts forA special agent of the unit on illicit drug forcible treatment.trafficking of the police department in theLebap velayat complains that there is almost According to our interlocutor, the drug takersno one left to catch. from the Gazachak village cannot get drugs since almost all drug dealers have been145 caught. Therefore, many drug addicts have

started drinking vodka and wine and relieve writes out a cheque from his personal chequewithdrawal symptoms by taking trimol pills. book indicating the work conducted.Turkmen cotton growers will have to pay However, the tractor operator will not get tomore for the services of public offices (17 work until a tenant pays him in cash. TractorMarch 2010) operators of the TurkmenobahyzmatTraditionally, on 21 March, the day of spring association explain extortions from daikhansequinox, when Nouruz is celebrated, cotton by the facts that they had to pay forsowing campaign begins in Turkmenistan. It is lubricating oils out of their own pocket, to givein this time of the year when mass media, a bribe to the bashlyk for a new MTZ tractor,controlled by the President, are admiringly etc.describing both wonderful awakening of thenature and the merits of G. Over the last years, the “rates” of the bribes,Berdymukhamedov, who provides «relentless i.e. fees to be paid by the farmers in additionsupport for hard-working daikhans». It seems to the official payments, were universallythat it should make the rural residents happy; fixed. The daikhans have to pay 4 manats forbut alas! Along with increasing President’s ploughing up of 1 hectare of land, 2 manatscare, official and non-official extortions from for sowing of 1 hectare, 3 manats forcotton growers are also on the rise. cultivating while according to the farming techniques, cotton should be cultivated andIn the new agricultural season, the income of fertilized at least 6 times.the Turkmen daikhans will further drop due tothe increased prices for public services. While «These sums look insignificant but theythe daikhans were charged 3% for water and amount to a total of 60-70 manats for awater services, now they will be charged 7%. season», Bairambai T., a tenant fromThe land rental fees were raised from 7 to Gubadag, who took 3 hectare on lease,12%. The Daikhanbank offices also increased complains. «Because of this, none of usservice charges from 1 to 3 %. conducts regular inter-row cultivation of cotton six times as it should be. It results inIt should be also taken into account that the the decrease of growth and yield of cotton».daikhans have to pay another 7% of theirincome to support the management personnel This year, 550 thousand hectares will beof the daikhan associations (former kolkhoz); planted with cotton in Turkmenistan. Theso it is not hard to imagine in what mood they target of 1 million 50 thousand tons of cottonstart cotton sowing. has been set.Even the most illiterate daikhan from a Turkmentelecom is losing its position onremote kishlak can tell in details what, apart the Internet providers’ market (4 Augustfrom the increase in the service fees, does not 2010)allow them to work and to earn. However, thiswas not even mentioned by M. Akmammedov,vice minister in charge of agriculture. Theproblems of the rural residents are also notreported in the Bereketli Toprak (Fertile soil)magazine.Pervasive corruption reached most remotevillages as well. Reciprocal payments ofdaikhans with those, who assist them withtechnical equipment, fertilizers and water arebased on the market principles. If a tractoroperator has ploughed up a field, a tenant146

Turkmentelecom, which holds the status of One of subscribers explained that he cancellednational communications operator is his subscription since the quality andsuccumbing to competition on the connection speed are very low, whereas thecommunications market and is actively losing engineering staff from automated telephoneits users. The subscribers prefer to switch to station 5 are totally incompetent in their fieldthose which provide similar services cheaper, of expertise.quicker and ensuring higher quality. It shouldbe mentioned though that the selection is “They *employees+ are so stupid! I am amazedquite limited – apart from Turkmentelecom, how they ended up working in this field!” –only Altyn Asyr and MTS operate in the says a surprised subscriber who terminatedcountry. his contract. According to him, the payment system is arranged to create discomfort forOn a monthly basis in the capital alone where customers but is convenient for thefiber-optic cables are available, employees.Turkmentelecom offices register dozens ofwritten applications with the request to At the cash register a man in his 50-s isexclude them from the list of Internet speaking in an annoyed manner to a cashier:subscribers as well as cellular communication “How is this possible? You are saying I haveand e-mail users. more than enough money on my account while internet operators in the call centreMany applications do not state the reasons for 58860 say that Internet access has been cutthe termination of the subscription contracts, due to insufficient funds on my account?! Iwhich are nevertheless obvious to everyone. make payments hoping to have unhamperedThat is to say the appalling quality of the network connection at least for a month orrendered services incommensurate with their two but instead a week later the Internet isrates, low qualified personnel, negligence switched off due to insufficient funds on mytowards subscribers and an imperfect account”.customer service system.Even more terminations are recorded in local Another subscriber comes to the followingoffices of the state-run Internet provider conclusion: “I do not want to have it on mywhere the connection speed is much slower conscience and accuse people without anythan in the capital and the professional level evidence but I have a feeling that money fromof the so-called “specialists” and “managers” the subscribers’ accounts is stolen”. Accordingcauses confusion and irritation. In the Lebap to the latest data, at present the local officesvelayat every month more than 50 subscribers of the state-run telecommunications companyfile applications to terminate their contracts in Turkmentelecom in Dashoguz andthe local office of the telecommunications Turkmenabat each have over 200 internetcompany Lebaptelecom. The staff member of users left whereas some time ago over 1000the subscribers’ department of the municipal users were registered in each velayat.telephone exchange, a middle-aged woman ishorror-stricken by the flow of incoming If quality and connection speed does notapplications. “If our subscribers leave indozens, we will be out of work soon”, - she improve and local experts, who callsays showing piles of applications from formercustomers. themselves Internet experts, do not learn to value each customer, the day will come when the executives of the state-run telecommunications company Turkmentelecomwill send their unqualifiedThe situation in the Dashoguz velayat is no specialists on unlimited leave due to the totalbetter. A large number of local Internet absence of users.subscribers are rejecting the services of thetelecommunications companyDashoguztelecom.147

Akhal dominance (26 March 2012) audits carried out by fiscal and law-After 1991 one trend became obvious: all enforcement agencies.personnel appointments to key governmentposts are associated with the representatives The post of the CEO of an enterpriseof the Akhal velayat. It is known that comprised into the Association of food-Saparmurat Turkmenbashi was raised as an processing industry is considered to be aorphan and could not promote his family lucrative job regardless of its produce. In allmembers up the career ladder. Treated as the velayats local food manufacturing facilities areleader of all Turkmens, nevertheless he headed by the Akhal residents rather than thepreferred to see his fellow countrymen of the natives of the region.Tekin ethnicity from Akhal occupying keygovernment posts in Ashgabat and in Recently appointees from Akhal have beenprovinces. appointed heads of the motor vehicle registration and driver examinationIt was under Turkmenbashi’s presidency when department of the velayat’s road police,the representatives of Akhal started to be customs office, taxation service and otherappointed to the positions of khyakims, heads highly remunerative posts.of law enforcement and judicial agencies inthe provinces. The growth of protest moods among both the regional establishment and ordinary peopleAfter his rise to power, G. who are far from social and political life ratherBerdymukhammedov, who has numerous than the appointment of outsiders to theserelatives, gave a new impulse to the process of positions arouse concern.appointing the Akhal representatives to keypositions. For the past five years the Akhal “By sending new executives from Ashgabat,residents occupied all key positions in the our President and his minions highlight thatprofitable fuel and energy sector as well as in we, the locals who are not the natives of Akhalthe distribution, trade and food-processing are second class citizens incapable ofindustries. Moreover, they penetrated into management”, – a discontented resident ofthe velayats, where the most highly-ranked Turkmenabat Gaiypnazar says.and highest paying posts had been previouslyoccupied by natives of these provinces. This article is designed to acknowledge the problem rather than create rivalry betweenFor instance, according to various estimates, provinces. In practice the country’s authoritiesthe post of the CEO of the main petroleum facilitate the intertribal discord, which in thestorage depot in velayats costs from 150,000 long-term perspective can result into seriousto 250,000 USD. Just imagine that there are conflicts.people who are ready to pay this amount tobe appointed executive. The applicants are It appears that by the end of his rule Niyazovaware that all expenses can be paid back in six came to realize this. Back then a law onmonths, and the same amount of profit can be khyakims was adopted which ran thangenerated for the remaining six months. khyakims both in etraps and in velayats were supposed to be elected from members ofUnder G. Berymukhammedov’s presidency, gengeshi, local government bodies. However,the CEO sent from Akhal became the head of Niyazov did not have time to implement thisthe main petroleum storage depot in plan into practice and one ofDashoguz. He is allegedly a relative of the Berdymkhammedov’s first steps was toPresident. It is difficult to say whether it is true abolish this law and switch back to theor false but interestingly enough, after this practice of appointing executives by theappointment the petroleum storage depot President.became the target of endless inspections and148

Eventually we get what we get. People fromthe capital are appointed executives of virtuallyall levels.149