Eurasianet

As the president celebrates, the economic crisis deepened by a coronavirus outbreak he has refused to acknowledge has left his people in a state of Dickensian misery.

Electricity exports; crowd control outside food shops; and despite denials, COVID strikes. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

The mood in Baku is triumphal but it’s heavy and vengeful rather than joyous.

An unacknowledged second wave, secret police at funerals, and congratulations from the Taliban. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

Only the best medicine for the leader. For everyone else, bread shortages.

Travel bans, dams and Russian fans. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

Ecological conservation is a matter of pride in Turkmenistan. But a disconnect between rhetoric and reality is a hallmark of the Berdymukhamedov era.

In state media, Turkmenistan is a roaring success story. The data paint a more worrisome picture.

A facile and naïve plan being discussed in Washington risks backfiring on Iran’s minority Christians.

This week in our Turkmenistan bulletin: Ashgabat and Moscow suddenly ratify an aged security agreement. Plus budgets, boasts and bribes.

The president bets on a big infrastructure program to reinvigorate his political fortunes.

Some are speaking out against the conflict despite fears the government’s strong support for Azerbaijan could fuel nationalist reprisals.

The dictatorial regime is mostly deaf to people’s complaints, but it sometimes caves.

The president’s fury has only served to expose once more the implausibility of official data.

While it would be wrong to start pointing fingers and formulating conspiracy theories, clearly the risks are many and real.