Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT200
2008-02-08 09:59:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: "NEW REVIVAL" COVERAGE REPLACES
how-toVZCZCXRO2852 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHAH #0200 0390959 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 080959Z FEB 08 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0236 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3353 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1169 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1037 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 1606 RHMFIUU/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 RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 2197 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0717
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000200
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
USAID/W FOR EE/AA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SCUL SOCI KIRF TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: "NEW REVIVAL" COVERAGE REPLACES
NIGHTLY "RUHNAMA" READING
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000200
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
USAID/W FOR EE/AA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SCUL SOCI KIRF TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: "NEW REVIVAL" COVERAGE REPLACES
NIGHTLY "RUHNAMA" READING
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (U) Throughout former President Niyazov's tenure,
Turkmenistan television's Altyn Asyr channel nighly broadcast
a reading of Niyazov's "Ruhnama" before the 9:00 pm news.
Two or three presenters would read from the "Ruhnama" (and,
after finishing the first volume, "Ruhnama II") for about 10
minutes. Once the presenters completed the second volume of
"Ruhnama," they would then start reading again the first
volume. This practice continued during President
Berdimuhamedov's first year in office.
3. (U) At the beginning of February, the TV presenters
completed "Ruhnama II." Instead of beginning again with
readings of "Ruhnama I," Turkmenistan television started
showing video montages of President Berdimuhamedov's
activities, including his trips to the provinces, his
meetings with farmers in their modest yurts, his visits to
military camps and Turkmenistan's gleaming oil refineries --
and all his other "government for the people" activities in
support of his "Great New Revival."
4. (SBU) COMMENT: This is yet another indication that the
cult of "Ruhnama" is continuing to fade. The disappearance
was always considered to be a matter of time. Berdimuhamedov
had no personal stake in continuing to promote his
successor's "sacred book." Some, however, have suggested
that to do so suddenly, without introducing a new, alternate
ideology, could be potentially destabilizing. Berdimuhamedov
has used the "New Revival" term to refer to his
administration's policies for some time now, and recently
defined it as an "ideology." Naturally, he may feel that
inculcating the ideals of the "Great New Revival" may be more
important than keeping alive the now-dated thoughts of a
predecessor whose policies he is trying to reverse. END
COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
USAID/W FOR EE/AA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SCUL SOCI KIRF TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: "NEW REVIVAL" COVERAGE REPLACES
NIGHTLY "RUHNAMA" READING
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (U) Throughout former President Niyazov's tenure,
Turkmenistan television's Altyn Asyr channel nighly broadcast
a reading of Niyazov's "Ruhnama" before the 9:00 pm news.
Two or three presenters would read from the "Ruhnama" (and,
after finishing the first volume, "Ruhnama II") for about 10
minutes. Once the presenters completed the second volume of
"Ruhnama," they would then start reading again the first
volume. This practice continued during President
Berdimuhamedov's first year in office.
3. (U) At the beginning of February, the TV presenters
completed "Ruhnama II." Instead of beginning again with
readings of "Ruhnama I," Turkmenistan television started
showing video montages of President Berdimuhamedov's
activities, including his trips to the provinces, his
meetings with farmers in their modest yurts, his visits to
military camps and Turkmenistan's gleaming oil refineries --
and all his other "government for the people" activities in
support of his "Great New Revival."
4. (SBU) COMMENT: This is yet another indication that the
cult of "Ruhnama" is continuing to fade. The disappearance
was always considered to be a matter of time. Berdimuhamedov
had no personal stake in continuing to promote his
successor's "sacred book." Some, however, have suggested
that to do so suddenly, without introducing a new, alternate
ideology, could be potentially destabilizing. Berdimuhamedov
has used the "New Revival" term to refer to his
administration's policies for some time now, and recently
defined it as an "ideology." Naturally, he may feel that
inculcating the ideals of the "Great New Revival" may be more
important than keeping alive the now-dated thoughts of a
predecessor whose policies he is trying to reverse. END
COMMENT.
HOAGLAND