Stories from Quick Reads and Turkmenistan
Central Asia’s unique tradition of singing during Ramadan keeps evolving
Jaramazan’s growing popularity has taken it to restaurants, parks, roads, and offices, where it is performed by professional singers, small children, and youngsters alike.
Turkmenistan unveils its first ‘smart’ city, named after the former president
Arkadag’s future remains unclear given the government’s authoritarian and bizarre rules for its potential residents.
No More Free Petrol in Turkmenistan
There aren't many benefits to living in an energy-rich dictatorship like Turkmenistan, but free energy rationing happens to be one of them. Yet President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov, or Arkadag (The Protector), has tweaked the Turkmen social contract by ordering the abolishment of free monthly petrol handouts to private car and motorcycle owners starting...
Women Out For The Evening Risk Arrest in Turkmenistan
The Vienna-based opposition blog Chronicles of Turkmenistan reports that police in northern Turkmen town of Dashoguz raid cafes and restaurants in search of women out for the evening. According to the blog, single ladies and women dining without their husbands are taken to police stations. Chronicles of Turkmenistan alleged back in...
“Central Asia is Watching [Syria] Too”
As the United States and Russia spar over the way ahead in Syria, the governments in Central Asia are following the situation closely, writes Nathan Barrick on Registan.net: Russia chooses to focus on the perspective that the Syrian government is fighting a battle against Islamic extremists and this message likely resonates...
Kyrgyzstan to Become a ‘Beam of Light’ in the ‘Dark’ Region?
Blogger Bektour Iskender suggests [ru] that “free” Kyrgyzstan should allow citizens of the less free nations in Central Asia, particularly Turkmenistan, to stay in the country visa-free: OK, we have [visa-free regime] for citizens of 44 developed nations. This is great. However, I believe that Kyrgyzstan as the most free country...
‘Celebrities for Hire’ in Central Asia
On Registan.net, Aijan Sharshenova explains why ‘celebrities for hire’ (including pop diva Jennifer Lopez) entertaining the authoritarian leaders of post-Soviet Central Asian republics unwillingly improve their image among domestic audiences.
Central Asia's ‘Weird, Sad’ World Records
As Turkmenistan celebrates a recent Guinness World Record award for the highest density of white marble buildings, Caravanistan writes about the “weird, sad, and revealing” world records held by other countries of Central Asia.
Turkmenistan's White Marble-Clad Capital
Turkmenistan already has a record-breaking president and ever-rising wheat harvests. But this is not enough for the oil-rich country. Don Croner reports that Turkmenistan's capital, Ashgabat, has recently been awarded a Guinness World Record for the world's highest density of white marble buildings.
Turkmen Leader Falls off Horse
The Turkmen leader has recently fell off his horse after winning a race. The footage of the embarrassing incident had been made public by international media, and Turkmen dissidents are using the video as an opportunity to ridicule the president.
‘Farmers Know Better’ in Turkmenistan
When will [the Turkmen leader] finally understand that the planned economy is not working? In order for the cotton sector to develop, cotton should be grown by private farms. Wouldn't farmers be able to decide better how much cotton they should sow? Does the [president] sitting on a golden toilet in [the Turkmen capital] Ashgabat really know better how much cotton can be grown in the country than a person working on a field?
‘Foreign Ideas’ as Extremism in Central Asia
[I]n former Soviet Central Asia there is little debate that the root problem [of extremist beliefs] is “foreign ideas,” defined so broadly as to become a target of opportunity for both every political purpose and every local policeman or official’s ambition. Any sign of dissent from state policies or ideology <...> can be enough to bring the wrath of the state, sometimes with great violence.
Harlem Shake Rocks Central Asia
With this cultural virus we clearly see that if people want to have fun, nothing will stop them. Fighting with Western influence or restrictions on YouTube will not help the authorities.
Turkmenistan: What Do Tourists Want?
Tourists coming to Turkmenistan do not seek five-star hotels and casinos; they do not travel to exotic countries for something which they can easily find close to home. They are interested in the local [customs and traditions], antiquities, and the Silk Road.
Independent Turkmen Website Hacked
Chronicles of Turkmenistan (www.chrono-tm.org), the website run by Turkmen human rights activists in exile, has been hacked [ru] for the third time this year and remains down. Catherine Fitzpatrick on Different Stans blog suggests that the “way too important” website was hacked by “Turkmen Secret Police”. She also lists alternative social media where the...
Power of Rumor in Turkmenistan
In Turkmenistan, where it is almost impossible to access any news other than those reported by state-run media, rumors have unusual power. A recent Facebook post [tr] about an ‘imminent’ collapse of the US dollar has created panic among the country's Internet users, with some people rushing to exchange their dollars for local...
Turkmenistan's Omnipresent Leader
Imagine if every poster on the wall, every advertisement on the side of a bus, hanging in the center of every wall in an office, and even overlooking little children playing in kindergarten, was the face of one man.
