EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Turkmenistan: More Heads Roll in Ashgabat

EURASIA INSIGHT

TURKMENISTAN: MORE HEADS ROLL IN ASHGABAT
1/22/09

A purge is continuing in Turkmenistan, with the most recent victims being the Minister of Defense Agageldy Mammetgeldiev and Border Service chief Bayram Alovov.

Their departures on January 21 brought to 13 the number of senior officials who have been dismissed during the previous week by President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. Experts interpret the personnel turnover as reflecting a desire by Berdymukhamedov to surround himself with people whose personal loyalty to him is unquestioned.

On January 22, the Turkmen State News Agency announced that Yaylym Berdyev would serve as the new minister of defense and secretary of the State Security Council of Turkmenistan. Berdyev had headed the state migration service since May 2008.

Murat Islamov will take over the post of chief of the State Border Service of Turkmenistan and commander-in-chief of the Frontier Forces of Turkmenistan. He previously served as the head of the Turkmen anti-drugs agency.

In other moves, Serdar Batyrov is assuming the title of acting chief of the State Agency for Drugs of Turkmenistan, having previously been second in command at the agency under Islamov. Seyitnyyaz Ballyev, meanwhile, will fill Berdyev’s old post as the head of the State Migration Service. The new acting chairman of the State Customs Service is the former mayor of Ashgabat, Orazgeldi Esenov.

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