by Kira Kramer
Last year Turkmenistan still stood at the bottom of various rankings; residents experienced a shortage of bread and flour, and the President’s son was climbing up the career ladder.
A negative trend which was the major concern was the clamping down on civil activists by the authorities.Over the course of last year Turkmenistan tried to claim extradition of Turkmen activists based abroad, imposed new ways of blocking VPN servers used by local residents to circumvent Internet restrictions.
Other memorable events include the grandiose show arranged by the authorities in honour of 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s Independence, and the introduction of home deliveries of ration packs in order to minimize queues in front of stores.
“Friendship” deposit
On 21 January, 2021 President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries on “Dostluk” (Friendship) joint exploration and development of hydrocarbon deposit in the Caspian Sea.
The precise field reserves are unknown.Experts estimate them to be between 50 to 150 million tons of oil and 30 billion cubic meters of gas.
These resources will be distributed in a 70%-30% formula with Turkmenistan owning 70% and Azerbaijan 30%.Azerbaijan agreed to reduce its share because it will be compensated by transit payments and access to the Azeri infrastructure.
The dispute about the field (which is called “Serdar” in Turkmenistan and is referred to as “Kyapyaz” in Azerbaijan) has been going on since the two independent states were established.
Russia’s Lukoil has been offering its services rather persistently with the Chairperson of the Russian company Vagit Alikperov paying regular visits to Ashgabat to hold discussions with Berdymukhammedov.
The death of Berdymukhammedov’s father
On 18 April, 2021 Myalikguly Berdymukhammedov, the President’s father, died aged 88.The head of state observed mourning and disappeared from media coverage for the first time in many years.
For about two weeks his son Serdar was the major participant at all events.On the Day of Akhal-teke Horse he opened the complex of buildings of the International Association of “Turkmen Central Asian Shepherd Dog” and accepted horses presented by officials to his father.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev also attended the commemoration ceremony.
Photo by: president.uz
It is worth noting that images of the President’s parents are used in Turkmenistan to promote the personality cult of Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov.Military unit №1001under the Interior Ministry was named after Myalikguly Berdymukhammedov and in 2017 a medal was established in his name.
Later in 2021 the head of state was presented with the book “Mertler Watany beýgeldýär” (the brave glorifying the homeland) devoted to his father and his tenure in the Interior Ministry.
Delivery of ration packs
In mid May, 2021 the Ashgabat city administration stopped selling subsidized groceries in state-run stores and launched the delivery of ration packs to residents’ homes.
Thus the authorities partially eliminated long queues (which sometimes reached a few hundred people) forming in front of state-run stores.It should be pointed out that there are still long queues for bread.
There are no official instructions pertaining to deliveries, hence there is no guaranteed order.According to delivery persons the ration packs, which are made up of chicken, eggs, vegetable oil and sugar, must be delivered three times a month (every ten days).
In practice, groceries are delivered to various districts of the capital with different time frames.Groceries in a set can also vary some products are often not included.
Delivery persons claim that they deliver the groceries from warehouses.In some cases they charge a delivery fee of three manats.Effective mid September residents have been requested to present residence registration.
Otherwise they might be deprived of ration packs.
The newly-introduced system has been received with mixed reactions.On the one hand, many are pleased that they do not have to spend hours in long queues from early in the morning, especially in hot or cold weather.
On the other hand, because of irregular grocery supplies, residents fear that in time they will have no opportunity to purchase groceries at state prices.
Anniversaries
The capital of Turkmenistan, the city of Ashgabat, marked its 140th anniversary on 25 May, 2021.Preparations for the festive celebrations commenced long before that date.
A baby horse, born on Nowruz, was named Ashgabat by President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov and he also devoted a new poem to the capital.
Two weeks later he presented his 54th book “My marble city Ashgabat”.According to the President’s proposal, the first boy and girl born on 25 May were named Ashgabat and Merdjen (Pearl).
Later the same day the Chairperson of the Turkmen Parliament Gulshat Mammedova announced that the title “honorary citizen of Ashgabat” would be awarded to Gurbanguly Berdymukhmamedov for “outstanding merits and personal contribution to the political, economic and cultural development of the city”.
In addition, on 25 May, 2021 Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov participated in the ground-breaking ceremony for Ashgabat-city and the opening ceremony of the residential district “Choganly” consisting of 140 new cottages.
In the evening a large festive concert was held in the “Ashgabat” musical centre with the song “White marble city Ashgabat” performed with lyrics by the President and the music composed by his grandson Kerim.
Many more large-scale preparations were held in the run-up to another event, the 20th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s Independence celebrated on 27 September, 2021.
Throughout the year various construction projects were commissioned in the capital as well as in the provinces, for instance, luxury hotels “Karakum”, “Arkadag” and the “Ashgabat” shopping centre. Some 30 million seedlings were planted across the country.
In honour of this date a special session of the Cabinet of Ministers was held where the President, Deputy Prime Minister and members of Parliament exchanged medals.
The President also presented his book “Independence our happiness” despite the fact that he has written about Turkmenistan’s independence in other writings (in “Turkmenistan” in 2016 and “Independent and permanently neutral Turkmenistan” in 2014).
In addition, Parliament awarded the President with the medal “Brave Turkmen” for providing the army with state-of-the-art military equipment as well as “piloting complicated military aircraft”.
On 27 September a military parade was held at which the President arrived in a white Geländewagen specially equipped for the occasion.
After the parade he was presented with another horse called Garashsyz (Independent) wearing jeweled decorations and on which the President rode in a lap of honour accompanied by applause.
On 28 September a horse racing event was held in the International Akhal-Teke Equestrian Centre with Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov in attendance, which was followed by the air show.
Among distinguished guests who arrived in Ashgabat to attend the festivities were the President of Tatarstan Rustan Minnikhanov who was awarded the order of Turkmenistan “Independence” by his counterpart, and the governor of St.
Petersburg Aleksandr Beglov.
The first Olympic medal
Unexpected positive news was the first Olympic medal won by Turkmenistan’s national team in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.On 27 July, 2021 a 21-year old weightlifter Polina Guryeva won a silver medal (96 kg on the clean-and-jerk and 121 kg on the snatch with a total of 217 kg).
It is noteworthy that it was Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Berdymukahmmedov who congratulated her. Guryeva was awarded the title “Honorary master of sport of Turkmenistan” and was presented with a new three-room apartment, a Lexus sports car and 50 thousand US dollars.
A female weightlifter Yulduz Jumabayeva, who after the distribution of medals in the World Weightlifting Championship, which had been held in November 2018 in Ashgabat, received the gold medal personally from Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov.
Regrettably, Polina could not repeat her success failing three attempts at the World Weightlifting Championship held in December in Uzbekistan.
A new COVID-19 wave
In late August-early September another COVID-19 wave hit Turkmenistan, which turned out to be more severe than previous ones.
Hospitals were overcrowded and healthcare practitioners reported a high mortality rate.Long queues formed in front of outpatient clinics and pharmacies.Markets, restaurants, cafes, festivity venues, shopping centres, beauty parlours and even car maintenance shops closed in Ashgabat.
Realizing the potential consequences of the infection and seeing first hand what was happening in hospitals, the residents of Turkmenistan took a more responsible approach towards their health.
Not only are they wearing masks properly, they no longer attend festivities and commemoration ceremonies.Previously friends, acquaintances and neighbor came to pay respects to the memory of the deceased but now only close family members attend funerals and commemoration ceremonies.
Photo by: depositphotos.com
Even the authorities indirectly acknowledged that the situation is serious. At the government session held on 25 August, 2021 to review the performance of Turkmenistan’s Emergency Commission for Disease Prevention the President dismissed the officials overseeing COVID-19 prevention.
Referring to the spread of “seasonal respiratory diseases” the Russian Consulate was closed to citizens from 25 August for two months.Two days later a new batch of “Sputnik V” vaccine from Russia was delivered.
On 26 August, 2022 the country office of the European Union in Turkmenistan postponed scheduled events for an indefinite period of time because of “the current situation”.
Protests in Istanbul
In 2021 the authorities continued to persecute Turkmen activists who organized protests against Berdymukhammedov’s regime.In Istanbul and Antalya dozens of activists were detained and held in deportation centres at the behest of the Turkmen special services and pressure was exerted on their family members in Turkmenistan.
The fate of renowned Turkmen activist Dursoltan Taganova was quite positive. In January 2021 she received a court verdict, which prevents her deportation to Turkmenistan and in June a document was issued which grants her temporary permission to stay in Turkey until a third country hosts her.
In addition, on 23 December, 2021 pursuant to an Istanbul court ruling, five Turkmen activists who had taken part in a rally at Turkmenistan’s Consulate in the summer of 2020, were acquitted of all charges.
Record heat wave
The temperature record was broken a few times in Turkmenistan last summer. On 30 May, 2021 the outside temperature reached 45,8º Celsius, which was 3,6º higher than the previous record of 1961. On 3 June, 2021 the outside temperature went up to 47º and on 8 August reached 45º .
The abnormally hot weather lasted all summer in Turkmenistan all summer and resulted not only in the reduced levels in water basins, but also affected the yield of wheat and cotton.
According to tentative reports, the wheat yield dropped by 15-30% compared to last year and the cotton yield – by 10-20%.
Because of the extreme heat wave and a shortage of drinking water, the water supply was frequently cut off in Ashgabat in summer.
Because of irregular water supply, water is delivered in water trucks.
Ashgabat.July 2021.
WHO second mission
In view of the severe epidemiological situation, in the autumn of 2021 Turkmen human rights defenders sent an open letter to the WHO Regional Officer for Europe Hans Kluge urging him to comment on the public health situation in Turkmenistan.
There was no direct reply from the WHO, but two weeks later he arrived in Ashgabat for talks with President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov.Based on the outcome of the meetings both sides agreed to hold a WHO technical mission to study COVID-19 genome “soon”.
On 9 November, 2021 Dr Catherine Smallwood, a WHO senior emergencies officer, said that “the pandemic has been spreading worldwide for almost two years now. From the scientific point of view, it’s unlikely that the virus is not circulating in Turkmenistan”.
However, during the second visit, which was held on 13-20 November, the WHO did not specifically acknowledged COVID-19 cases in Turkmenistan.This time the mission was headed by Dr. Dorit Nitzan, Regional Emergency Director for WHO/Europe, who highlighted “the need to strengthen efforts to detect COVID-19”.
Photo by: mfa.gov.tm
The first WHO mission, headed by Dr Catherine Smallwood, 10 days in Turkmenistan, from 5 to 15 July 2021. They neither acknowledged nor denied COVID-19 cases in Turkmenistan at their final conference. The WHO advised the authorities of Turkmenistan activating the critical public health measures in Turkmenistan, “as if COVID-19 was circulating”.
In August 2020 President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov allowed the WHO, which had expressed serious concern about an increasing number of COVI-19 negative pneumonia cases, to perform joint sampling and then send the samples for quality assurance to WHO reference laboratories outside Turkmenistan. However, the mission has not paid their second visit to Turkmenistan.
Turkmenistan’s first lady
A photo by Turkish media outlets featuring the President of Turkey Recep Erdoğan and his spouse alongside the President of Turkmenistan and the first lady Ogulgerek Berdymukhammedova became the photo of the year.
This was the first time the President’ spouse was presented to the public.It is not clear whether it is coincided with Erdoğan’s visit to Turkmenistan together with his spouse or by a desire to please the Turkish leader.
However, it is very noticeable that the Turkey’s President holds hands with his spouse whereas Berdymukhammedov simply stands beside his wife.
The post A 2021 review: persecution of activists, COVID-19, heat waves and the first Olympic medal first appeared on Chronicles of Turkmenistan.