Turkmenistan: Shake Up at State-Controlled Energy Companies

President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov is shaking up the management of Turkmenistan's state-controlled oil and gas entities.

The semi-official Turkmenistan.ru news website confirmed on May 18 that Berdymukhamedov sacked the deputy chief of Turkmenneft, Toidurdy Durdiev, and the first deputy chair of Turkmengaz, Durdy Tadjiev, "for serious shortcomings" in the execution of their responsibilities. The phasing of a presidential press service statement hinted that the pair had been removed due to incompetence.

Energy development and exports generate an estimate 70 percent of government revenue in Turkmenistan. The presidential decree on the firings of Durdiev and Tadjiev made no mention of successors in either post.