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.

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.

The government is eager to stress that the loan is all but interest free.

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

The government will help outlets that publish its propaganda.

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

The healthcare sector has been embroiled in corruption scandals for years.

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

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

The die-off has caused a shortage of meat and eggs in markets.

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.