ASHGABAT: The leaders of Russia, Turkiye and Iran meet Friday in Turkmenistan, an isolated Central Asian state which is marking 30 years of official neutrality with a rare international summit.
The principle of “permanent neutrality” is at the heart of the former Soviet republic’s foreign policy — a doctrine that has contributed to making Turkmenistan one of the world’s most isolated countries.
On the guest list are Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, along with other regional leaders.
Here’s five things to know about the desert nation and its position on the world stage:
- Presidential dynasty -
Turkmenistan, which borders Iran, Afghanistan, and the Caspian Sea, has only had three presidents since gaining independence when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
The first was Saparmurat Niyazov, who proclaimed himself both “president for life” and the “father of the Turkmen” (Turkmenbashi), and ruled for 15 years.
The Berdymukhamedov family took over in 2006, with father Gurbanguly becoming president before handing the job to his son Serdar in 2022.
In reality, the pair rule in tandem. Gurbanguly retains immense power and is the subject of an intense personality cult.
Officially proclaimed “leader of the Turkmen nation” and Arkadag, which means hero-protector, he built a vast city named after himself, Arkadag, at a cost of at least $5 billion. He also erected gigantic golden statues of himself, while Serdar is regularly praised in the state-run media.
- Neutrality and isolation -
Turkmenistan is one of the world’s most secretive countries, often compared to North Korea for its inaccessibility.
Since the United Nations supported Turkmenistan’s “permanent neutrality” status in 1995, it has become a foreign policy cornerstone. An almost 100-meter (300-feet) tall Neutrality Monument, resembling a rocket and featuring a golden statue of the first president, stands in the capital Ashgabat.
The status prohibits Turkmenistan from fully joining any union or military alliance, and is used by the government to implement its isolationist policies.
Ahead of the summit, Serdar Berdymukhamedov published yet another book — presented as a “precious gift for the Turkmen people” — extolling the virtues of neutrality.
Turkmenistan’s closest relations are with China, Russia, Iran, and Turkiye thanks to gas contracts. Cooperation with the West remains limited.
According to Amnesty International, Turkmenistan is “effectively closed to international human rights NGOs, UN special mechanisms and independent media.”
Information on the country is fragmented, tightly controlled and generally unverifiable, “aimed solely at praising the regime,” according to Reporters Without Borders.
- Lots of gas, little water -
While Turkmenistan is estimated to have the world’s fourth-largest natural gas reserves, water supplies are scarce — and the situation is expected to worsen due to climate change, scientists warn.
Three-quarters of the country is covered by the vast Karakum desert.
Cotton is another important industry for the Turkmen economy, but the high use of water has contributed to water shortages across the region.
- Methane ‘Gateway to Hell’ -
A massive five-decade-old fire raging in a natural gas crater is the country’s top tourist attraction. The fire has been burning in the Karakum desert since 1971, when Soviet scientists accidentally ignited it.
Turkmen authorities have repeatedly stated their intentions to close the Darvaza crater, dubbed the “Gateway to Hell,” but so far without success.
Emissions are a huge problem. Turkmenistan is the world’s top methane leaker, according to the International Energy Agency.
- Sacred animals -
Local breeds of horse and dog are sacred and have been elevated to the status of national symbols.
On the orders of Gurbanguly, numerous statues honoring the Alabai — or Central Asian shepherd-dog — and the Akhal-Teke horse have been erected and the animals are celebrated on public holidays.
Gurbanguly has even composed a song in honor of his favorite horse.
The father-and-son duo regularly give and receive dogs and horses as gifts, including to other world leaders. They are often filmed cuddling the animals in public.
Russia, Turkiye, Iran presidents in Turkmenistan for rare summit
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Russia, Turkiye, Iran presidents in Turkmenistan for rare summit
- The leaders of Russia, Turkiye and Iran meet Friday in Turkmenistan, an isolated Central Asian state which is marking 30 years of official neutrality with a rare international summit
Bangladesh sets February date for first vote since 2024 mass uprising
- At least 1,400 protesters were killed in violent crackdown under ex-PM Hasina’s rule
- Interim government promises ‘all necessary support’ for upcoming elections
DHAKA: Bangladesh will hold national elections on Feb. 12, its chief election commissioner has announced, setting the timeline for the nation’s first vote since a student-led uprising that ousted long-serving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Hasina, whose Awami League party-led government was marred by allegations of human rights violations, rigged elections and corruption, was removed from office in August last year after 15 uninterrupted years in power.
Bangladesh has since been led by interim leader Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, who took over governance after Hasina fled to India, where she is now in self-exile.
In a televised address on Thursday, chief election commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin confirmed the voting date to elect 300 lawmakers and said a national referendum on political reforms would also be held on the same day.
“It’s a relief for the voters; it’s a relief for the country. It’s a relief for the investors, it’s a relief for the development partners and for the political parties and the people who did a massive job in July 2024 by sacrificing their lives and limbs to oust a tyranny,” said Prof. A.S.M. Amanullah, political analyst and vice chancellor of the National University in Dhaka.
Mass protests that broke out in 2024 began in early July as peaceful demonstrations, triggered by the reinstatement of a quota system for the allocation of civil service positions.
Two weeks later, they were met with a communications blackout and a violent crackdown by security forces.
A special tribunal in Dhaka found Hasina guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against the protesters, at least 1,400 people of whom died, according to estimates from the UN’s human rights office.
After a months-long trial, she was sentenced to death in November for crimes against humanity.
The February elections will take place in the aftermath of Hasina’s reign, with the Yunus-led administration banning all activities of Awami League, meaning the former ruling party would not be able to join the race next year.
Minor political tensions now revolve around the more than 40 million voters of the Awami League, as the public speculate “how they would move, in which party they would support or whether they would remain silent,” Amanullah said.
“(But) if you consider other than Awami League, if we consider the other political parties, I think the other political parties are sufficient, you know, to make the next poll participatory, and free and fair.”
Bangladesh last held elections in January 2024, which saw Hasina return to office for a fourth consecutive term. That vote was boycotted by the country’s main opposition parties, which accused her administration of rigging the polls.
“There is a growing demand within the society and in the community that they would cast their first vote after almost 15, 16 years. And that would be an (occasion) of big national celebration,” Amanullah said.
In February, more than 127.6 million Bangladeshis will be eligible to cast their vote. It will be Bangladesh’s 13th election since the country gained independence in 1971.
The long-awaited election process now begins with the filing of nominations from Dec. 12 to 29, which will then be reviewed over the following six days. The last date for withdrawing nominations is Jan. 20.
After the voting date was announced, Yunus pledged to “provide all necessary support” to encourage festivity, participation and fairness in the upcoming polls.
“After the historic mass uprising (last year), the country is now moving toward a new path,” he said in a statement. “This election and referendum will consolidate that trajectory, prioritize the will of the people and further strengthen the foundation of a new Bangladesh.”
For Malaika Nur, a 24-year-old Dhaka University student who took part in the 2024 protests, the elections are an opportunity for young people to formally take part in politics.
“Young people have been showing much interest in politics since July 2024. They showed us how the youth can reshape a country’s political condition. If they have a few seats in the parliament, it can be a game-changer for the future of politics in Bangladesh,” she said.
“I hope this election will be different from the last three elections held in the previous regime. There will be a festive mood, people will cast their valuable votes and will get to choose their representative … I hope the elected government will ensure safety and basic rights of every citizen, and will hold fair elections in the future and will not become another fascist.”
