by Emily Curwood
When you are told of a country with a strict dictatorship, a secretive government, and a severe lack of personal freedom we all think of North Korea, but there is another maybe more draconian country in Asia that is just as unknown: Turkmenistan. While many are quick to label this country as the ‘North Korea of Central Asia’ there are big differences. Turkmenistan’s abundance of oil and a lack of trade embargoes/restrictions means it has been viewed as one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The capital of Turkmenistan is a city filled with incongruity, where opulent building and statues made of gold and marble juxtapose the impoverished lives of many living within. It is a story not too dissimilar from the capital of Pyongyang, in which the streets are filled with eye-catching propaganda instead of people. So why are the issues in Turkmenistan so unknown? Well, the main reason is the country has fairly normal relations with the West, providing NATO countries with tax-free oil during the war with Afghanistan. Therefore, the US more concerned over the North Korean regime given they are viewed as a clear enemy and not a past ally.
Turkmenistan is ruled by an authoritarian leader; the president Berdimuhamedow who won re-election in 2012 by 97% and is now into his third term. Berdimuhamedow has passed constitutional changes in ensure his position of power, extending presidential terms from 5 to 7 years and getting rid of the 70-year age limit. This authoritarian regime is reflected in the country’s poor human rights record, with the Human Rights Watch stating its citizens live in the ‘world’s most repressive countries’. Moreover, the US Department of State labelled Turkmenistan a ‘country of particular concern’ regarding its extreme lack of religious freedom.
One of the main points of similarity is the role of the media inside and outside. All the country’s mass media is controlled by the government, and many state that its purpose is not to educate or inform but to create an omnipresent cult of personality. Turkmenistan’s repressive media was ranked 180th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index by Reporters without Borders. Most notably on this point Turkmenistan, along with North Korea, are the only countries to not have had a case of coronavirus outside of the Pacific islands. Although many argue that there have been no reports of cases of coronavirus. Health ‘censorship’ has been seen before in Turkmenistan with the country reported no cases of HIV/AIDS in the past decade.
The apparent lack of public awareness is reflected in the country’s tourism. There is less restriction on travelling within the country and independence is granted, however Turkmenistan does receive one of the lowest numbers of tourists each year. It often ranks in the top 10 least visited countries with around only 5000 tourists a year. Moreover, the interesting fact that Turkmenistan is the only country officially recognised by the UN as neutral adds to the sense of isolation from the outside world the country has.
Comparing these countries may not be the best approach, and the similarities like religious freedom go much deeper than the surface. But when looking at a country like Turkmenistan that is so unknown to the public it seems as if the only way to fully grasp the political, social, and economic climate is to look at one scrutinised by outsiders for years.
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