14.05.2022

Akhal-Teke

Amid a food crisis, the president says food imports should be stopped. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

In the least surprising news to come out of Turkmenistan in years, it looks likely that a city is to be named after former President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. The city in question, according to the sources of RFE/RL’s Turkmen service, Radio Azatlyk, is the one that is being built from scratch to become the capital of Berdymukhamedov’s native Ahal province.

That this might come to pass was semaphored in late April, when Berdymukhamedov’s son, the current president, Serdar, announced at a government meeting that the naming of the future city would be put up for “nationwide… >> подробнее

13.05.2022

International Planned Parenthood Federation

Abortion care access has been restricted from 12 to just five weeks

Women are only valued for their capacity to give birth, raise healthy patriots and thus preserve traditional family values.

Turkmen people were hoping that their newly appointed president, Serdar Berdymukhamedov, would pursue a more progressive path than his father, but they were sorely mistaken.

Since April 2022, the government has taken policing over women’s bodies to a whole new level: imposing a virtual ban on abortion care, enforcing a ban on a range of beauty services, forbidding women from sitting in the front seat of private cars and prohibiting male taxi drivers from offering rides to women.

Abortion care access has been restricted from 12 to just five weeks. Overnight, the government… >> подробнее

07.05.2022

Serdar Aytakov

The authorities need constant reasons for the use of petty repression and psychological pressure.

Turkmenistan is introducing bans on lip augmentation, eyebrow tattooing, hair lightening, and sitting in the front seat of a taxi for women. The trend towards gradual and systematic restriction of women’s rights is being observed in the country since 2018.

On April 22, female residents of Ashgabat faced the refusal by taxi services to let them sit in the front seat next to the driver and they were offered to sit in the back seat instead. Taxi drivers said “not allowed” and “new decree” to their baffled questions. However, no one have heard of the “decree” and Turkmen media outlets… >> подробнее