TURKMENISTAN: EVIDENCE OF DISCONTENT IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000290 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB USAID/W FOR EE/AA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON EIND ELAB SCUL SOCI TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: EVIDENCE OF DISCONTENT IN TURKMENBASHY REF: A. 07 ASHGABAT 968 ¶B. ASHGABAT 0239 ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: During an EmbOff's trip to Turkmenbashy February 17-19, an ethnic Dagestani Turkmen citizen driver effusively disclosed -- with little prodding -- his thoughts on the gas price hike, Avaza, and Turkmenistan's economy. Other observations made around town showed that there is a lot to complain about, and that others are feeling the pain, too. Vendors at the food market withheld "decent" meat from sale -- in effect, striking in response to the mayor's office's refusal to let them set their own prices. Museum workers guard the few exhibits that remain because they won't be replaced by the Government of Turkmenistan. The average Turkmen citizen is thinking, and isn't afraid to share it. END SUMMARY. AVAZA: "DOESN'T DO ANYTHING FOR THE PEOPLE" ¶3. (SBU) A driver (and Afghanistan War veteran) of Dagestani ethnicity who has lived in Turkmenbashy since the end of the war made a slew of scathing comments and observations about the state of affairs for the common Turkmeistan citizen during EconOff's February 17-19 personal visit to the area. In his opinion, the Avaza Tourism Zone (Ref A) project is a huge waste of money, first of all because the government still has not recouped the money invested in the Serdar Hotel project. He asked hypothetically, "Who will come here?," adding that Turkey and Thailand have culture and entertainment to offer tourists beyond a sea -- currently the only thing that Turkmenbashy offers visitors. He pointed out five hotels under construction within eyeshot of the Serdar Hotel, including a prominent construction site plainly marked Bouygues, the French company that handles Turkmenistan's most elite construction projects. The much-vaunted canal project for Avaza is also under construction by Turkish firm Polimeks. Upon seeing the large, full-color mock-ups of how the area will look after construction is completed -- including lush green lawns and other landscaping -- the driver sarcastically said, "The Turks made a pretty picture." Between the Serdar Hotel and the canal project, workers were in the process of tearing down dachas. The driver noted that the government is not compensating these dacha owners. Summing it up, he said the Avaza project doesn't do anything for the people. GAS PRICE HIKE: "LIFE IS GETTING WORSE, NOT BETTER" ¶4. (SBU) The driver dispelled the notion spread on opposition websites that protesters torched gas stations in response to the gas price hike (Ref B),at least in Turkmenbashy. However, he still felt very strongly about the gas price hike, stating that the government should have raised the price of gas gradually instead of 800 percent overnight as it did. In his emotional words, "life is getting worse, not better." FOOD MARKET VENDORS STRIKE AGAINST THE MAYOR'S OFFICE ¶5. (SBU) A routine visit to the food market showed some startling undercurrents of discontent. Food sellers responded to the mayor's refusal to let them set their own prices by making only offal -- no "decent" meat, in the driver's words -- available in the entire market. Fresh fish was also not for sale in this sea-side town. While walking through the part of the market where implements are sold, the driver complained that there is "no industry in Turkmenistan," just cheaply made imports from other countries for purchase. He mentioned that the difficulty of finding a permanent job if one doesn't speak Turkmen creates a miserable situation. ASHGABAT 00000290 002 OF 002 LITTLE REMAINS OF TURKMENBASHY'S CULTURAL LIFE ¶6. (SBU) The driver begrudgingly accompanied EconOff to Turkmenbashy's two sad museums containing Soviet-era exhibits, the Regional History Museum and the Nature Museum. After arranging the day before to visit the Nature Museum, upon arriving at 5 p.m. -- the museum was to close at 6 p.m. -- museum workers told EconOff and the driver that the museum was waiting for them all day. However, the museum workers were in a good mood, thrilled to have received their monthly pay of two million manat -- about $101. Pointing out the grey pallor of a stuffed bird's white feathers, the guide explained that the team takes as good of care as is possible of the Soviet-era exhibits because they know that the Government of Turkmenistan will not replace them -- what they have is what they've got, for the long haul. ¶7. (SBU) COMMENT: While Turkmenistan, on the surface, appears to be a land of people accustomed to docility, it's apparent that average Joes, from drivers to market sellers to museum workers -- are carefully thinking about the state of affairs, and no one is really happy about it. No one believes that Avaza has the potential to reach even some of the success the government claims it will. Entrepreneurs are clamoring for a market economy. The cultural intelligentsia struggle to preserve the few resources that they have. The average Turkmen citizen is thinking, and isn't afraid to share it. END COMMENT. HOAGLAND