by Kira Kramer
The New Year is the time to sum up the results of the year.The year 2017 was abundant in events for Turkmenistan and its residents.
The country survived the increased kindergarten rates, which sparked protests in provinces, the commissioning of Garlyk Mining and Processing Plant which operates at 7% of its estimate capacity; the President’s singing in front of voters and many other things.
Let us recall ten most important events which have taken place in Turkmenistan over the past year.
100-percent President
On 12 February regular Presidential elections were held in Turkmenistan where the incumbent President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov won.He ran for the office for the third time.
The first, early Presidential elections were held in 2007, after the death of Saparmurat Niyazov.Back then Berdymukhammedov, Deputy Prime Minister under Turkmenbashi’s rule, was ahead of five contenders and scored 89% of the votes.
This time he had eight “rivals”, which, however, did not prevent the President from winning 97,69% of the votes.
https://www.hronikatm.com/2017/02/predvaritelnyie-itogi-golosovaniya/
Iranian gas (non)debt
The beginning of 2017 was marked by the start of the gas dispute with Iran. On 1 January “Turkmengas”, despite the reached agreements, halted gas exports to Iran demanding that NIGC should settle the debt amounting to some $1,8 billion (according to other estimates, $2 billion).
Iran acknowledged the debt but demanded that the amount of the debt be reviewed and throughout 2017 the NIGC repeatedly threatened Turkmenistan to take the case to the international court.
In the end, Chairperson of the state holding “Turkmengas” Myrat Archayev briefed the President on 4 December that “with a view of mutually acceptable and non-biased solution of the problem the Iranian partners propose to file a lawsuit to the International Court of Arbitration”.
In response Berdymukhammedov instructed to prepare the documents for court proceedings.
https://www.hronikatm.com/2017/12/turkmenistan-i-iran-budut-suditsya-v-mezhdunarodnom-arbitrazhe/
Asian Games as vanity project
In September the event to which the country, its residents and even dogs had been preparing for the past few years the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games took place in Turkmenistan.
Not only over $5 billion was spent but the new airport with capacities exceeding the actual passenger flow several times and the Olympic village were built.These expenditures will be hardly repaid.
Not only the country’s budget but the residents were affected.For instance, the residents of the capital were barred from walking the streets around the Olympic village.
Ashgabat launched he raids to identify “untrustworthy social elements” and individuals with a criminal record were barred from appearing on the streets during the Games.Moreover, a decision was made to “clear” the city of old cars and stray dogs.
All of these were done to pamper ambitions of the President for 10 days, who considered the regional Games to be the event of global significance.
It should be highlighted that the head of the state also instructed to host the international rally in Turkmenistan in 2018.
https://www.hronikatm.com/2017/06/90-dney-do-aziadyi-kogda-prestizh-vazhnee-blagopoluchiya-naroda/
President Berdymukhammedov with a ticket for the AIMAG opening ceremonyDay of Dependence
The President was so impressed with the Asian Games that he decided to somehow eternalize this event, which was done in quite a bizarre way.Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov transferred the celebration of the Day of Independence, which is a remarkable date for any post-Soviet country, from 27 October to 27 December, the closing of the Asian Games.
The state information agency TDH reported before the transfer of the date “on 27 October 1991 the dream of our courageous nation with heroic glorious history to establish their own sovereign state came true”. The state media outlets did not report though which dream of the Turkmen people came true.
https://www.hronikatm.com/2017/10/den-nezavisimosti-turkmenistana-sovpal-s-dnem-zakryitiya-aziadyi-a-9-maya-bolshe-ne-vyihodnoy-den/
The military parade on the Day of Independence
Fight against corruption
While Turkmenistan was actively fighting corruption this year, local television demonstrated suitcases of cash and kilos of gold allegedly found in the houses of corrupt officials.This initiative kicked off in May when President Berdymukhammedov carried out large-scale cleansing in the government and Prosecutor General Amanmyrat Khallyev lost his job.
In June Turkmenistan’s State Economic Crime Enforcement Agency headed by colonel Mammetkhan Chakyev was set up and anti-corruption program was adopted.
Another wave of arrests of officials, accused of corruption, swept the country in October.Then an announcement was made on the identified cases of corruption and dismissals at the Cabinet session on 9 December.
However, all of these do not prevent the staff of the anti-corruption agency to fight with colleagues from law enforcement agencies “for bread and butter”.
https://www.hronikatm.com/2017/11/siloviki-ne-mogut-podelit-hlebopriemnik-na-severe-turkmenistana/
Agricultural year
Throughout the year the President has repeatedly expressed discontent with the performance of Turkmenistan’s agricultural complex.Moreover, this was done at the backdrop of quarterly reports of government-run media outlets on the execution of the plan to harvest wheat, cotton, to sow winter crops and so on.
He accused daikhans and then officials of the poor agricultural performance and even called for allocating land plots to public sector organizations to grow agricultural produce.In December the Minister of Agriculture was eventually dismissed and the decision was made to address the agricultural problems with the help of probing the crops from space.
https://www.hronikatm.com/2017/08/problemu-agroproma-v-turkmenistane-budut-reshat-pri-pomoshhi-zondirovaniya-posevov-iz-kosmosa/
Dollar records
In 2016 “the black market” emerged in Turkmenistan. Let us recall that until December 2015 the dollar exchange rate remained at 2.85 manats. Then, in connection with the economic crisis which hit in January 2015, the official dollar exchange rate was increased until 3.5 manats and has remained at this level since then.
The US dollar exchange rate was subjected to fluctuations throughout the year.At the start of the year one US dollar could be purchased at 4 manats, but in December its value rose to 9,5-10 manats.
President Berdymukhammedov repeatedly expressed concern over the stability of the Turkmen national currency but he has not issued an order to review the exchange rate or allow free currency conversion so far.
https://www.hronikatm.com/2017/09/zhiteli-turkmenistana-nadeyutsya-na-ofitsialnoe-snizhenie-kursa-dollara-i-vozvrat-svobodnoy-konvertatsii-posle-aziadyi/
Unrestricted restrictions
The problem of foreign currency conversion led to the fact that Turkmen residents are travelling overseas, mostly Turkey, to withdraw cash and exchange it to dollars.As a result, in early August the Central Bank of Turkmenistan forwarded a document to commercial banks pursuant to which “a set of restrictions and bans has been imposed with a view of fighting queues as well we combating various ways of getting cash overseas to convert it at official rate”.
Throughout the year tighter restrictions have been introduced.As of today, Turkmen residents can officially withdraw overseas no more than $500 a month.A maximum of $50 dollars a day can be officially withdrawn from an account or cash free payments of no more than $200 a day can be made.
https://www.hronikatm.com/2017/12/vneshekomnombank-vvel-ocherednyie-ogranicheniya-na-snyatie-nalichnosti-s-kart-i-stal-bankom-goda-v-turkmenistane/
Free becomes paid-for
In 2017 the main “treasure”, i.e. free public utilities, was abolished in Turkmenistan. The decision to abolish free quotas for natural gas, electric power and water was voiced on 9 October and new rates were introduced from 1 November.
Up to this day Turkmenistan could be referred to as the authoritarian state as much as you like and the response was that the main accomplishment in the country is provision residents with natural gas, electric power and water rather than the human rights. There are none left in Turkmenistan.
https://www.hronikatm.com/2017/10/v-turkmenistane-ustanovlenyi-novyie-tarifyi-na-kommunalnyie-uslugi-kotoryie-vstupyat-v-silu-s-1-noyabrya/
Turkmen Rambo
This year President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov will be best remembered not only as the author of several new books, including the best seller “Turkmenistan, the heart of the Great Silk Road” (let us recall that the book was presented in a number of countries with the Ashgabat square being decorated based on the themes of the tales from it and the film made), but also as a Turkmen Rambo.
During the military training near Ashgabat on 1 August the head of the state personally demonstrated to heads of law enforcement agencies how to handle weapons, shoot straight and throw knives at enemy.
The video which features the president of Turkmenistan as the main character was viewed about 600 thousand times and was quoted by the world media outlets.
https://www.hronikatm.com/2017/08/commando/