Anecdote

Humor and satire have always been a mean of showing popular will that cannot be normally expressed. In Soviet period there were many anecdotes and jokes about the Communist party leaders and various public figures and Turkmens also use this way of saying their opinion through political anecdotes that are traditionally told among close friends or within a family. It should be a mistake if not to post some of these masterpieces online so future generations will find use of it to understand conditions their ancestors lived in. There are many jokes, but I will post most memorable and most expressive. I apologize for the foul language beforehand.

 

So a number of Turkmens got a job at organization N as manuals, and before starting work the boss says that they will be paid 100 manats at the end of the month. The employees agree.

In the middle of the month boss announces that their pay was reduced and they will be paid only 50 manats at the end of the month. The employees, who had already worked a half of the month, agreed in order to receive something for their labor.

At the end of the month when the workers visit their boss to get salary, he announces that they won't be paid anything for this month. Workmen agreed, hoping that next month conditions would improve and they will be paid.

After another month of free labor, boss declares that all workers should pay fee to the organization N in order to be employed at it. Workmen agreed with that too, hoping that in future this would change.

Next month the boss gathers all workmen at a meeting and announces that according to a new rule one security guard will be placed at the entrance door of the organization. His function will be to fuck all employees before they can enter the building and start to work. The workmen glanced at each other and had nothing but to agree.

Next month boss of the organization holds another meeting with all workers. During it he sees the miserable faces of his workers and asks about how are they doing. One of the employees stands up and says: "Everything is great. But could you, please, increase the number of guards at the entrance door so we can get to our work faster without having to wait in a line".

Saparliyev and Egypt Turmoil

Saparliyev and Egypt Turmoil

 

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As you may know from the news agencies president of Turkmenistan has dismissed Vice-prime in field of education and one of his closest friends Hydyr Saparliyev on February 11, 2011. I guess that I am not alone wondering, what is the background for such rearrangement on chessboard of Turkmen politics? The image I managed to build from pieces looks like an intriguing detective.

 

The TPI Murder Case

On 5^th of February 3 second-year students of Turkmen Polytechnic Institute (TPI) who were on official holidays, decided to hold a party at apartment rented by of one of them. I guess it was because of approaching spring, rising hormone level and strict Islamic beliefs that they also picked up three prostitutes. After having heavy drinks they have given all of their money to those girls for their services and on morning of the next day they had nothing left to spend. So they decided to solve this issue by contacting those girls and inviting them to apartment again. When they arrived, the TPI student threatened them and asked their money back, and after refusal they murdered one of the girls with a knife. Seeing it, another girl jumped out of the window and tried to escape, but of the guys jumped after her and stabbed her several times after running her down. Third girl was severely beaten and told to keep her mouth shut. But because of the citizens seeing a girl jumping out of the window and calling police, these guys were caught within hours. So by the evening of February 6^th one of girls killed, another in poor condition and third with heavy bruises, plus three students arrested, one (who jumped out the window) was reported with broken leg.

This is not the only case of crime among school age children and students; they are never covered by the media and are known through rumors. For instance, in the middle of January a 15 year-old schoolboy was stabbed by his classmate when returning home. The boy survived despite many wounds, but this matter did not receive such attention as did the above case. It is obvious, that certain people use TPI case for their own interests.

 

First Scapegoats

During next two days heads of three departments of TPI, deputy chancellor (vice-president of institute) and a chancellor were fired for this incident. The explanation was that they did not pay enough attention to those students and did not conduct any preventive measures. The amazing fact is that the students were on holidays, and how could the staff predict that those three guys will be involved in such crime?

The rented apartment was in Mir-1 micro-region of Ashgabat, one of the most populated areas, so the head of Mir-1 Police Department together with his two deputies and a district police officer responsible for the block where the murder happened were fired. The latter officer had no chance of knowing everyone living in his district, even if works 60 hours a week, still it would be hard to find that student among 2,000 population of the block, assuming that a future criminal was not always at home. Reason for dismissing police officers was that they had not seen anything suspicious in that student, and those three prostitutes, who by happened to be from provinces, did not have registration in order to be in Ashgabat and were supposed to be send out of city limits.

Those people who remained on their positions made their conclusions on it. Police has been cracking down on students living in rented apartments and on people illegally located in capital, despite the fact that you can't be registered to Ashgabat unless you are born there or have somehow lived there for five continuous years. Law enforcement officers also strengthened control over restaurants, bars and other places where lots of people gather for entertainment.

The Ministry of Education conducted unexpected inspections to several universities in Ashgabat at night time. In all cases they visited dormitories and thoroughly inspected personal belongings. Students say that their mobile phones, personal laptops were examined by specialists who had software to restore deleted content. Officials from Ministry were looking for anything "suspicious" - they read phone messages, checked images and video content, looking through books. As some of students were complaining, I would like to add that in Turkmenistan there is no such thing as privacy, and these violations are usual things for Turkmen people.

Ministry decided that best preventive measure for students would be expelling some of them. One student at Transport Institute was expelled after inspectors restored pictures of him on his laptop showing him having a party with alcoholic drinks. Two students were expelled from Institute of Sports and Tourism after inspectors discovered .mp3 recordings of Quran surahs (audio book of Quran). They have claimed that these students propagated religious extremism. These are the only known occasions and I am sure that there are many other expelled students I have not heard of.

 

Consequences

Remaining as Niyazov's legacy, all university and institute students have to sign a paper stating that they "will not visit places of entertainment: cafes, bars, restaurants, casinos, discotheques and etc, they will not visit foreign organizations and embassies in Turkmenistan, will not travel abroad and will not drive cars and other vehicles and etc". Paper also says that in case of nonobservance students agree with being expelled. All these conditions are still active, but even these rules seem somewhat freer than what is happening now. Administrations gripped their students in a steel vice - every student that has no registration to Ashgabat (they constitute 85% of all students) was obliged to move to dormitories (even if meant living 6 people on area of 200 sq. ft.), regular and unexpected inspections are conducted - checking cell phones, personal computers, books and all other personal belongings. For example, if a condom or an empty bottle of alcohol or anything similar would be found within the dorm room, it means an expulsion within 24 hours.

Most of the students do not have any high ranked relatives (who could call administration and stop the harassment of particular student) and they have to bear with these conditions and inspections. Students were prohibited from visiting bars, restaurants, discotheques and etc., they also were prohibited from meeting at each others house or somewhere else, they were prohibited from gathering into groups of more than three people on campus, everything under the threat of expulsion. Plus, having a page on social networks (having a name of student) could also lead to expulsion (Guess, it's a result of "Facebook revolution" in Egypt).

When asked about the reasons, administration of institutes says, that it is said in a directive from Ministry of education that students should have their time filled up with subjects at maximum level; everyday route of each student should constitute e only dormitory (or home) and university, no other places should be visited. Suppose, the murder case was just a formal basis for strengthening control over the students, and the real reason lays in preventing students from gathering into large groups, speaking on politics in mass; overloading them with courses to reduce free time - everything done in order to prevent those events in Tunisia and Egypt, where communicating via internet student-age youth gathered to protest against government and the whole world knows what happened next.

It would be too naive to hope that students (there are almost 45,000 of them in Turkmenistan) would be sparked to protest by these measures. Large majority of students live and study in conditions close to Stalin-ear concentration camp and as a rule of that era, people don't have a belief in solidarity, unity; at times when close friends spy on each other, everyone is for himself. It is a true spirit of the time.

 

Role of Saparliyev

After the gossip about the incident reached the president, he fired Deputy Minister of education and dismissed Saparliyev from his position of Vice-Prime-minister (Deputy Chairman of Cabinet of Ministers). This dismissal took place on 11^th of February, which "by occasion" happened to be the day of 4^th year of presidency. Thus, I assume, president Berdymukhamedov made himself a present by eliminating a possible opponent at elections that are to be held next year.

The following passages are built upon private conversations with some former and current high ranked officials that I happen to know well.

I would like to start with the fact, that H.Saparliyev and R.Meredov are most prominent long-livers on Turkmen political Olympus. According to some sources Rashid Meredov (Foreign affairs minister) and Hydyr Saparliyev (Vice-prime on education) were among those who recommended Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov to president Turkmenbashi, as good candidate for position of Minister on healthcare.

In 1999 Saparliyev was appointed as Director of Education and Science Department at Cabinet of Ministers, then from 2001 to 2004 chancellor of Turkmen Polytechnic Institute. (Those years you had to pay a bride weighing like price of a decent house to get into that institute). Those years he became close acquaintance of Rashid Meredov, who was head of national Parliament (Mejlis) and then Foreign affairs Minister. Supported by the money earned on bribes, Saparliyev could "win" himself position of Minister on education. Shortly after that, with help of his friend he was appointed as Ambassador to Armenia, but since he had no knowledge of diplomacy and, I guess, found the job "less lucrative", returned to his previous position of Minister. At that time Berdymukhamedov was already appointed Minister on healthcare and personal dentist of Turkmenbashi. Some sources mention pictures and informal meetings witnessing close ties existing between these three ministers.

Like Niyazov, the second president maintains a principle of rotating ministers and high officials, and dismissing them periodically in order to eliminate any possible political opponents and threats. But he never reprimanded Meredov or Saparliyev, and rumor about close ties, or as some referred "mafia clan", existing between them only strengthened.

The murder case of TPI students is a weak motive for dismissing official of this high rank; the students did not commit that crime during study semester. Saparliyev was appointed as chancellor of TPI, position he held in 2001; it most likely that he will be treated as T.Tagiyev, former Vice-prime on oil and gas, who also was dismissed and appointed as director of oil refinery in Seidi. After short period he was imprisoned for corruption and for plundering funds of that refinery (previous crimes were not mentioned at all) and sentenced to 25 years. The same awaits Saparliyev, since corruption in education system is very strong there wouldn't be any problems for imprisoning him for bribes.

 

Two Birds with One Stone

If speaking about the situation in general, my best guess would be that just like Turkmenbashi, Berdymukhamedov is suffering severe paranoia, that aggravates more and more as elections approach. Some of the people I happened to talk to and who work in close connection with government, express the idea, that president is removing all possible threats, and his next move, most likely, would be dismissing Vice-prime and Foreign affairs Minister Rashid Meredov and then becoming president for life, as did Turkmenbashi, or even establishing monarchy.

The case with TPI students was used to cover all measures necessary for the president. Right on the day of 4^th anniversary when he was elected as president, Berdymukhamedov eliminated one his closest friends, thus more consolidating the power in his own hands and re-building "Turkmenbashi's regime of iron fist".

All universities in Turkmenistan had holidays from beginning of January to beginning of February. The events in Tunisia and Egypt happened in this timeframe, so whether the TPI case would take place or not, students anyway would have discovered tightened control over themselves as they returned to their studies. The conditions in most of higher education institutions of Turkmenistan are similar to those of open prisons in best case. I will try to cover this topic in details in my later posts.

Conditions in Turkmenistan keep dramatically declining and it would be childishly naive to believe that Berdymukhamedov's steps towards "democratization", "creating multi-party system", "improving human rights sector" and etc. are anything more than idle words for the outer world.

Turkmenistan is like a building on the picture, post-Soviet country that still uses the same system, with a single window into the world that was iron-barred back in 1930's. Modern pseudo-democratic government has painted the glass over to disillusion the outsiders peeking in. At level of absurd and surrealism, the regime created a brick wall behind the glass for those who are inside, so ones thinking free would have no chance of being heard. What happens in Turkmenistan - dies in Turkmenistan.

President’s Book Was Introduced as a Study Course

The book "Social and Economic Development" under the authorship of Gurbanguli Berdimuhamedov was introduced to all universities and institutes of higher education as a subject called "Epoch of Revival". (The so called "Turkmen Renaissance" is name of policy conducted by the second president.) In all of the cases the subject replaced what was previously taught as "Rukhnama" – book of previous president Saparmurat Turkmenbashi, everything remained the same whereas only name of the subject changed since the meaning of both of subjects is not found interesting by vast majority of students and is hard to navigate in many contradictory facts. In the fall 2010 president of Turkmenistan ordered to introduce the new subject that would replace economics, sociology, philosophy, history and "Rukhnama", so the younger generation would understand the reforms going in the country and policy conducted by the government. The content of book is primarily related to late-Soviet and Russian books on economics and sociology, with maybe few places mentioning now popular terms: "innovative", "e-government" and etc. In overall the book does not have anything that explains why the prices rise in the country despite fixed exchange rates, despite rises in payments; it does not mention why the government spends around 30 billion dollars on construction which is forth item of expenses in state budget, while healthcare is not even in top 10. Plus, no one seems to doubt the fact that a person who has a diploma of a professional dentist also has deep knowledge of macroeconomics and sociology on the level required to govern the country. While the outer world was glad to hear that golden statue of Saparmurat Turkmenbashi was dismantled in the center of capital where it used to follow the sun on the sky, it appears that the successor is about to build his own one instead of previous. Gurbanguli Berdimuhamedov is building up cult of his own personality; at the moment his image replaced old one on all ubiquitous portraits, his book replaced Rukhnama, he "received" a title "arkadag". Next things on his to-do list would be something like "make myself and my parents heroes of Turkmenistan", "build a 100-foot platinum statue that would follow both sun and moon", "rename Ashgabat to Gurbanguli-Vegas", "rename June to Gurbanguli". It all may sound as a joke, though there are announced plans to build a 200-foot statue representing president riding a horse, similar to the statue of Oguzkhan on the road to capital's airport. According to rumors the statue is to be located on the foothills of Kopetdag Mountains, south of Ashgabat, and to be performed in marble and gold. The conclusion that could be made out of it is that all presidents are mortal (unfortunately to them) but some traditions remain forever. I hope I am wrong on the last one.

Turkmenistan Gets Closer to e-Government

Since the last meeting of Cabinet of Ministers, many ministries, including healthcare and one of internal affairs, have started work on building single database that would have all information about all citizens of Turkmenistan. The ministry of healthcare already started with transforming medical cards into electronic formats, nationwide examinations are conducted for the purpose of blood group database. Ministry of internal affairs (MVD) is working on issuing new passport with biometric and fingerprint data. According to government's plans MVD will have a central database that would contain information about all citizens, standard data but including lists of close relatives, grandparents, their occupation and much more confidential information about them. Many fear that the ministry or government could use it as a powerful tool to persecute dissenters within a country, since it offers unmatched opportunities to mar anyone's life with the speed of light in fiber optic cables.

Some of the asked about this matter however expressed that the project is most likely to stall, since there are no IT specialists and much of the data is received with distortions at the stage of paperwork and gathering information. I would like to think the same, but I doubt that current authoritarian regime will not use e-possibilities to tighten the grip of its iron hand on the neck of Turkmenistan's people, unless their greed will overweight the desire to control everyone and everywhere, just as in Orwell's famous book.