Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT1272
2008-09-25 14:47:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: MFA OFFICIAL ON TURKMEN LIFE AND
how-toVZCZCXRO1631 PP RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV DE RUEHAH #1272 2691447 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 251447Z SEP 08 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1617 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 4335 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 2147 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 2012 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 2583 RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001272
NOFORN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN AND NEA/IR, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREL TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: MFA OFFICIAL ON TURKMEN LIFE AND
CULTURE
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons: 1.4(b) an
d (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001272
NOFORN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN AND NEA/IR, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREL TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: MFA OFFICIAL ON TURKMEN LIFE AND
CULTURE
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons: 1.4(b) an
d (d).
1. (C) In a conversation with emboff during an Iftar event
that Charg hosted on September 25, the MFA's Chief of
Protocol described what he called the "unique" character of
the Turkmen as compared to other peoples in the region. He
said that unlike the Azerbaijanis, for example, whom he said
were "just like the Iranians: Emotional, temperamental and
easily agitated," Turkmen by nature are peaceful and
non-confrontational. It is for this reason, he said, that
Turkmenistan has enjoyed such prolonged peace and stability,
while other countries in the former USSR and the region have
had turmoil and armed conflict. He said that the most
important values shared by all Turkmen are devotion to family
and hospitality towards outsiders.
3. (C) The official advised emboff to travel out of Ashgabat,
visit and become acquainted with all parts of Turkmenistan,
including his own town near Balkanabat. He went on to
emphasize that he himself is not of the Teke clan, but rather
of the Nokhor. (NOTE: Late President Nyazov was a member of
the Teke clan, as is President Berdymuhamedov and the
majority of high-level officials in Turkmenistan. END NOTE.)
He said that the Nokhor are very different from other Turkmen
clans, and are descendants of Alexander the Great, which, as
he explained, accounts for his own tall stature and large
eyes.
4. (C) Our interlocutor said that he is delighted with the
spacious flat that he and his family live in. The building,
in the fashionable Ashgabat suburb of Berzengi, was
constructed by the government specifically for MFA officials.
He talked happily about the 30-year mortgage and low monthly
payments he was able to secure in the luxury apartment.
Talking about his children and naming conventions in
Turkmenistan, he said that babies are always given compound
names like "Separmurat" or "Gurbanguly" (his own young son is
named "Gurbanmurad"),but then called a totally different
nickname by their families in order to ward off jealousy and
the "evil eye" (the logic being that it is more difficult to
wish ill on someone without knowing their actual name).
5. (C) The official said his work has taken him to nearly 20
countries in the world, most recently to a protocol-related
training in Malaysia, a country where he was shocked to see
that people routinely address others simply by their first
names, with no honorifics like "Janab" or "Agha" (Sir),as in
Turkmenistan. Likewise, he noted that certain areas of
Turkmenistan invariably use the formal (Siz) form of the
second person pronoun, even with siblings, whereas in others,
nothing but the informal pronoun is used with others.
6. (C) COMMENT: Tribal affiliation in Turkmenistan is an
extremely sensitive issue, and it is interesting that our
interlocutor volunteered the information. We also found
interesting that even with his very cosmoplolitan demeanor
and travel to many different countries, he is still very much
grounded in Turkmen culture. END COMMENT.
CURRAN
NOFORN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN AND NEA/IR, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREL TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: MFA OFFICIAL ON TURKMEN LIFE AND
CULTURE
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons: 1.4(b) an
d (d).
1. (C) In a conversation with emboff during an Iftar event
that Charg hosted on September 25, the MFA's Chief of
Protocol described what he called the "unique" character of
the Turkmen as compared to other peoples in the region. He
said that unlike the Azerbaijanis, for example, whom he said
were "just like the Iranians: Emotional, temperamental and
easily agitated," Turkmen by nature are peaceful and
non-confrontational. It is for this reason, he said, that
Turkmenistan has enjoyed such prolonged peace and stability,
while other countries in the former USSR and the region have
had turmoil and armed conflict. He said that the most
important values shared by all Turkmen are devotion to family
and hospitality towards outsiders.
3. (C) The official advised emboff to travel out of Ashgabat,
visit and become acquainted with all parts of Turkmenistan,
including his own town near Balkanabat. He went on to
emphasize that he himself is not of the Teke clan, but rather
of the Nokhor. (NOTE: Late President Nyazov was a member of
the Teke clan, as is President Berdymuhamedov and the
majority of high-level officials in Turkmenistan. END NOTE.)
He said that the Nokhor are very different from other Turkmen
clans, and are descendants of Alexander the Great, which, as
he explained, accounts for his own tall stature and large
eyes.
4. (C) Our interlocutor said that he is delighted with the
spacious flat that he and his family live in. The building,
in the fashionable Ashgabat suburb of Berzengi, was
constructed by the government specifically for MFA officials.
He talked happily about the 30-year mortgage and low monthly
payments he was able to secure in the luxury apartment.
Talking about his children and naming conventions in
Turkmenistan, he said that babies are always given compound
names like "Separmurat" or "Gurbanguly" (his own young son is
named "Gurbanmurad"),but then called a totally different
nickname by their families in order to ward off jealousy and
the "evil eye" (the logic being that it is more difficult to
wish ill on someone without knowing their actual name).
5. (C) The official said his work has taken him to nearly 20
countries in the world, most recently to a protocol-related
training in Malaysia, a country where he was shocked to see
that people routinely address others simply by their first
names, with no honorifics like "Janab" or "Agha" (Sir),as in
Turkmenistan. Likewise, he noted that certain areas of
Turkmenistan invariably use the formal (Siz) form of the
second person pronoun, even with siblings, whereas in others,
nothing but the informal pronoun is used with others.
6. (C) COMMENT: Tribal affiliation in Turkmenistan is an
extremely sensitive issue, and it is interesting that our
interlocutor volunteered the information. We also found
interesting that even with his very cosmoplolitan demeanor
and travel to many different countries, he is still very much
grounded in Turkmen culture. END COMMENT.
CURRAN