Featured stories about Turkmenistan
Stories about Turkmenistan
Central Asian presidents cannot stop appointing their relatives to high-level posts
The most glaring example of this practice is the current president of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimukhamedov, who succeeded his father Gurbanguly Berdimukhamedov in 2022.
Central Asian leaders sigh with relief as Erdoğan wins presidential elections in Turkey
After a cooling off in the relations in the 1990s and early 2000s, the blossoming of cooperation between Turkey and Central Asia has come under Erdoğan’s rule.
Like father, like son: Turkmenistan’s new president carries on his predecessor’s repressive policies
The latest developments have further undermined the belief that Serdar Berdymukhamedov will seek to break away from the legacy of his father and pursue a more humane state policy.
The climate crisis and the environment in Central Asia — Is there hope?
The states of Central Asia are facing severe environmental challenges, which are being further exacerbated by climate change. Can the regional governments come together to address the problem?
A water diplomacy expert discusses the prospects of water conflict and cooperation in Central Asia
There are sufficient water resources in the region, but the regional cooperation is challenged by poor governance frameworks and weak institutional capacity.
As peace and prosperity unravel, Central Asia braces for a surge of forced labor and sexual slavery
Economic crises, cuts in public spending and subsequent unemployment are commonly regarded as the factors that aggravate the risks for vulnerable groups of population to fall prey to human trafficking
Central Asia rushes into armed drone race as regional arms transfers brew
Central Asia’s search for military drones started long before the Russian-Ukrainian war, and was shaped by the imminent rise of military drones and Russia’s gradual lag in advanced military technologies.
Central Asia celebrates Victory Day amid Russian pressure
In Putin's Russia, the victory over Nazi Germany became instrumental in legitimizing the regime, suppressing political dissent, and pursuing an aggressive foreign policy, including the war in Ukraine.
Central Asia’s fears of rising militancy in Afghanistan as Moscow invades Ukraine
Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, the three Central Asian states that border Afghanistan intended to defend their borders through security reinforcement and diplomacy, primarily relying on Russian initiatives.
Public opinion in Central Asia: A pioneering Kyrgyz NGO ventures into uncharted territory
While the five Central Asian nations share borders and history, they rarely view themselves as part of the same region. A Kyrgyz NGO tries to survey them as one group.
Turkmen students: Escaping from war-torn Ukraine
During the first few days of Russia’s war on Ukraine, the Turkmen embassy was largely unhelpful when it came to evacuating students and citizens.
“Be quiet, woman! Your day is on March 8”: How is International Women’s Day celebrated in Turkmenistan?
The mainstream rhetoric that the Soviets created gender equality and civilized "savage" Central Asia is nothing but a hegemonic imperial view wrapped in racism.
The Soviet Union existed for 70 years, but don’t expect to find it as a location in the world of comic books
Only a handful of mainstream comics published during the existence of the Soviet Union actually take place within its borders, and those that did often promoted stereotypes.
A memoir of escaping Turkmenistan in search of education
Turkmen girls who overcome family pressure to prioritize family over education have to face pressure from the state if they want to study abroad.
The Pandora Papers unveil offshore companies linked to the family of Turkmenistan's President
In Turkmenistan, two brothers have used offshore companies to earn from state contracts of import-export. The problem is that they are relatives of the president.
More internet security for many, not for Central Asians
"Apple has clearly been forced to comply with legal regulations in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan."
Turkmenistan fights coronavirus with (more) isolation and herbal remedies
Turkmen officials deny any cases of COVID-19 in the country. They aim to keep the virus away by closing borders, testing incoming travellers, and burning an aromatic desert grass.
Who inspires Turkmenistan's elites?
What can multilingualism tell us about how Turkmenistan's elite see their country's place in the world? And what might they tell the world with their newfound linguistic skills?
Why we must keep shining a light on Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan’s rulers are not eager to publicise the country’s hardships. Independent media is non-existent and social media severely restricted. If news travels at all, it travels covertly. That’s where I come in.
Four possible explanations for Turkmenistan's presidential hide-and-seek
Turkmenistan's publicity-loving president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, has been unusually scarce lately, prompting rumours of political upheaval in the Central Asian republic.
What diapers taught me about Europe
"With unrestricted access to information, my critical consciousness was awakened, and I began to reconsider binaries like “developed” and “backward” and re-analyze politics both in Turkmenistan and West."
