NEW GOVERNMENT OF TURKMENISTAN REBUKES RUSSIA FOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001322

SIPDIS

STATE FOR INR/R/MR, IIP/T, IIP/G/NEA-SA, SA
SCA/CEN, SCA/PAB, SCA/INS, SCA/RA, SCA/PPD, DRL
CENTCOM PUBLIC AFFAIRS-MAJ.BALDWIN/SGT. BAKER
USCINCPAC FOR POLAD R. HUSO
SECDEF FOR PA


SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP PREL PGOV AF TX
SUBJECT: NEW GOVERNMENT OF TURKMENISTAN REBUKES RUSSIA FOR
"PROVOCATION"

REFERENCE: ASHGABAT 1311

Summary
--------------


1. (U) Turkmenistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs on December 28
publicly denounced the Russian media for assertions that the
recently announced February 11 election was a farce and that state
services have broken down because of a power vacuum following
Niyazov's death. Local media continues to reinforce reverence for
Niyazov, as well as preparations for the February 11 presidential
elections. End Summary.

HALK MASLAHATY SESSION STRESSES STABILITY
--------------


2. (U) The Halk Maslahaty session of December 26 was four hours of
well-intentioned, though quaintly orchestrated, theater, aimed
mostly at foreign consumption. A succession of speakers, including
Foreign Minister Rashit Meredov, Acting President Gurbanguly
Berdimuhammedov, and Elections Committee head Murat Garryev stressed
stability and urged the seamless continuation of Niyazov's policies.
The tedious nominations process ended with the expected nomination
of Berdimuhammedov, followed by Garryev's and Meredov's appeal to
"follow the law, even though we already know who we want to be our
president." Several times during the session, state television
panned over the faces of the diplomatic corps, and took pull-aside
interviews during the session with select heads of missions. State
television aired in full a statement in English, with largely
accurate Russian voice-over, by Charge, in which she reiterated U.S.
condolences over the loss of President Niyazov, U.S. hopes for a new
relationship and for a peaceful and democratic transition of power.


Foreign Ministry Rebukes Russian Media
--------------


3. (U) Foreign press reacted swiftly and negatively to the December
26 meeting, particularly the constitutional changes granting the
Interim President the right to run in elections, and the staged
endorsement of Berdimuhammedov for the presidency. Russian press
carried interviews with members of the opposition, including threats
of a coup by KYIV-based opposition leaders when it was clear that
the opposition would play no role in the election. (Note: Since
2003, the constitution of Turkmenistan has required that aspiring
presidential candidates be resident in Turkmenistan for 10 years
prior to nomination -- a fact the opposition has not contested in
the past. This requirement bars any of the expatriate opposition
leadership from running in the February 11 election. End Note.)
Russian political analysts also suggested that Akmyrad Rejepov, the
head of the Presidential Security Forces, held the upper hand in
behind the scenes political maneuvering in Ashgabat.


4. (U) On December 28, Turkmen State Television went to the unusual
step of airing Foreign Minister Rashit Meredov making a statement,
read in Russian and Turkmen, rebuking Russia for "the insulting
statements and articles of the so-called political scientists on the
alleged military coup in Turkmenistan and illegitimate transfer of
power" and for allowing its media to print "explicitly provocative
reports." The statement, printed in the December 29 editions of
major dailies Neutral Turkmenistan and Turkmenistan, went on: "The
situation all over the country is calm and stable. All enterprises
and organizations are functioning normally. The population of the
country is provided with food, medicines and other necessary
conditions for normal life. The welfare payments, salaries and
pensions are being paid in full and on time, and social service is
available to all." According to Interfax, Turkmenistan's Ambassador
to Russia delivered that message to the Russian Foreign Ministry on
December 28 in a meeting between Turkmenistan's Ambassador to
Russian and the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister. Turkmenistan's
Ambassador emphasized that the criticism was directed at Russian
media: "some Russian outlets are not objective in covering the
events in today's Turkmenistan, they manifestly violate norms of
journalistic ethics commenting on moments concerning the private
lives of Turkmen leaders." Interfax and Itar-Tass carried the
conciliatory response from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
that Russia was a "reliable friend" of Turkmenistan, and that
Russian media does not reflect the official views of the Russian
government.


5. (U) The local stringer for Itar-Tass played down the the
statement, saying it had been prepared prior to the December 26 Halk
Maslahaty session and that it mirrored messages delivered to
individual journalists and the Russian government during Niyazov's
reign. However, this was the first time such a rebuke appeared in

ASHGABAT 00001322 002 OF 002


Turkmenistan's state press. The local stringer for Agence France
Presse told PD FSN that the statement was inevitable; a lack of
response would indicate weakness on the part of the Government of
Turkmenistan.

Some Criticize USG as "passive"
--------------


6. (U) Although most U.S. media outlets reported the events of the
Halk Maslahaty accurately, a couple of outlets printed stories
accusing Washington of inaction over -- or complicity in --
Turkmenistan's flawed electoral process. The Florida-based Online
Journal ran the story "Washington's Game in Turkmenistan," in which
the author wildly speculated about the USG's role in engineering
Niyazov's death in order to consolidate control over the region's
energy supplies. The Washington Post ran a story by Peter Finn
reiterating opposition leader Khudaiberdy Orazov's complaints over
Western passivity: "The E.U. and the United States imposed
sanctions on Belarus after flawed presidential elections there last
year. Turkmenistan, which is rich in natural gas and offers a
potential alternative to supplies from Russia, has escaped that kind
of collective action."


7. (U) Coverage of the United States' December 27 statement in
support for a free and fair election was scant, but Voice of America
summarized the statement and and stated that the U.S. was avoiding
direct criticism of the elections process.

Comment
--------------


8. (U) International media coverage of the December 26 Halk
Maslahaty session and news of a February 11 presidential election
was relatively accurate but Russian media provided conspicuously
heavy coverage of conspiracy theories and reprinted inflammatory
statements by members of Turkmenistan's exiled opposition groups.
Turkmenistan's public criticism of Russia was significant and a
positive sign; though the new government cannot afford to alienate
the main customer for Turkmenistan's gas. End Comment.

BRUSH