28.11.2021

Akhal-Teke

Letters from Washington, cybersecurity cooperation with China, and negotiating with a bankrupt Taliban*. This and more in our weekly briefing.

Turkmenistan has been getting some good cop, bad cop treatment from the United States.

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden sent a letter to his counterpart in Ashgabat thanking him for the Turkmen government’s assistance during the precipitous U.S. pull-out from Afghanistan.

“Your timely help in expeditiously granting overflight and refueling clearances and facilitating passenger transfers to onward destinations was greatly appreciated,” Biden wrote in the letter to President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, which was published on the U.S. Embassy website… >> подробнее

19.11.2021

Rachel Denber

Azat Isakov, a Presumed Victim of Enforced Disappearance by Turkmen Security Services

Dozens of people who have fallen afoul of Turkmenistan’s government remain victims of enforced disappearance, some for almost 19 years.

«The police are here. If they find me, they’ll take me in. I’ve gone into hiding.» These are the last words Turkmen human rights activist, Chemen Ore, heard from Azat Isakov, a dissident from Turkmenistan who had been living in Russia for about six years. Ore, who lives in exile in Nepal, told Human Rights Watch that Isakov texted her this message from Russia on October 20. He’s been missing ever since.

In a letter, Russia’s Interior Ministry informed Ore that Isakov flew from Moscow to Turkmenabad on October 22. But according to multiple sources, Isakov… >> подробнее

11.11.2021

Bruce Pannier

Serdar officially went to Glasgow as the deputy chairman of Turkmenistan's ministerial cabinet, which means he was speaking on behalf of the government when he made the pledges about methane reductions.

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov sent his only son, Serdar, to Glasgow to represent Turkmenistan at the COP26 world climate conference.

Serdar is seemingly being groomed to take over from his father one day, so he has been making a lot of trips recently representing Turkmenistan. He was even an honorary coach of Turkmenistan's Olympic team in Tokyo this summer.

One might not think that Turkmenistan, a desert country with a population of some 5 million, would have a big impact on the climate.

But it actually does, because it's one of… >> подробнее