Correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that on 3 June Turkmenabad (formerly Chardjou) hosted the meeting, with senior officials of the region in attendance, to discuss the counteractions against rumous against President Berdymukhammedov’s disease.
The meeting brought together about 150 individuals, including the executives of the velayat, representatives of the Deputy Prime Minister overseeing the country’s eastern province, khyakims of etraps and their deputies, higher-ranking law-enforcement officers of the region, chairpersons of the velayat’s courts, the executives of the public sector and state-run organizations.
Those in attendance were instructed to “work” closely with residents of Lebap velayat (province), especially whose relatives currently reside overseas and have access to the Internet and social networks. According to law enforcement officials, “unwanted” information is often relayed through family members abroad Turkmenistan’s nationals keep in touch with.
Moreover, it was reported at the meeting that there are over 800 informants of the police and the NSM who are charged with the task of identifying individuals spreading the rumours.
According to some sources, similar meetings were held in all five velayats of Turkmenistan. We have failed to confirm this so far.
In late May the Youtube channel ERKIN TÜRKMENISTAN reported that the President had been admitted to hospital.
On 21 May “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” reported that a team of Turkish healthcare practitioners, including a renowned anesthesiologist, urgently departed to Ashgabat. We could not find out who needed urgent medical assistance.
According to the news outlet Turkmen Yurt TV, the President’s mother, Ogulabat Berdymukhammedova, was in critical condition.