Turkmenistan Weekly News Analysis

For the first time last week Turkmenistan conducted military maneuvers in the country’s sector of the Caspian Sea. Nearly all branches of Turkmenistan’s National Armed Forces participated in the exercises, including the artillery, air force, infantry, air defense, and naval units of the State Border Service of Turkmenistan participated, as well as special formations of the Ministry of National Security, and various services and operational units of the Ministry of Defense, the Interior Ministry, and the State Service for Healthy Society Security and the country’s naval forces.

This decision to flex military muscle was made amid the recent escalation of tensions between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan over the Kyapaz/Serdar offshore oilfield that has become an obstacle to finalizing pipeline agreements (Baku-Ceyhan as well as Trans-Caspian). Earlier President Berdymukhamedov stressed that Turkmenistan, with its foreign folicy of “permanent neutrality,” would not use its military fleet to resolve territorial disputes. However, these maneuvers suggest other intentions. In the hypothetical scenario of the maneuvers, the military and political situation in the Caspian region escalates in the summer of 2012 and Turkmenistan, committed to a peaceful resolution, takes measures to ease tensions in the region. As a result, Turkmenistan’s Armed Forces fulfill their combat mission: they reach the maritime boundaries of Turkmenistan, forcing the imaginary enemy to abandon its aggressive posture. President Berdymukhamedov personally watched the maneuvers.

Also, this week, the Turkmen leader received the Romanian Minister of Economy, Commerce, and Business Environment, Daniel Chitoiu, to discuss the transit potential of the two countries; and planned his visit to Latvia to sign cooperation documents, as well as a trip to Armenia, both in September. Representatives of Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry received a delegation headed by the Chairwoman of the Scientific Committee of the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, Ms. Yu Sintyan; and held talks with Thailand’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Jullapong Nonsrichai, to discuss trade and economic partnership. All bilateral interactions seemed to go smoothly, with the exception of negotiations with official Iran. President Berdymukhamedov decided to terminate Turkmenistan’s contract with Iranian company “Pars Energy” and find a Turkmen company to complete construction of the North-South railroad connecting Turkmenistan with Iran. According to reports, the reason for contract termination was the company’s inability to finish the work on time.

Turkmenistan hosted an international exhibition and conference entitled “Major Areas of Development of Energy Industry of Turkmenistan,” which convened attendees from over 70 companies from 20 countries, including the US, Japan, China, Russia, Britain, Germany, Ukraine, and India. Companies such as General Electric, Calik Energy, Alston, Setstroyservis, and others showcased their products at the exhibition.

Berdymukhamedov issued several reprimands to memers of his cabinet, dressing down powerful figures such as the Minister of Interior, Isgender Mulikov, and his deputy, Serdar Durdyev; the Supreme Court Chairman, Amanmyrat Khallyev; and the Deputy Prime Minister, Annamuhammet Gochyev, who was tasked with supervising Turkmenistan’s economy and finances. Their failings were characterized with the typical and generic description, that is typically used in these public upbraidings -- “unsatisfactory performance of their official duties.”

Citizens of Turkmenistan will be put to work on their weekends this autumn, reinstating the old Soviet practice of holding hold large-scale community cleanups (“subbotniki” – i.e., the mass mobilization of citizens to clean “voluntarily”) on every Saturday in September-October this year, in order to clean and maintain public spaces throughout the country. It is ironic that the authorities of the country, which is the fourth largest producer of oil and gas, feel the need to use free labor to keep the country clean. It is unclear whether the reasons for this decision are economic or if this forced voluntarism is a means for authorities to intensify control over the Turkmen people, whose freedoms are already severely infringed upon.

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