TURKMENISTAN: POSITIVE TRENDS IN STATE MEDIA ENVIRONMENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000355

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR SCA/CEN; SCA/PPD, ECA, IIP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL SCUL KPAO TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: POSITIVE TRENDS IN STATE MEDIA ENVIRONMENT
- RECENT MEDIA REACTION

REF: 07 ASHGABAT 871


1. Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.


2. (SBU). SUMMARY: State Media's coverage of Embassy events and
visitors has become almost routine with levels of propaganda or
pro-regime "spin" dropping slowly over the last year. Recent
coverage is evidence of this continuing trend. U.S. Coordinator for
Eurasian Energy Diplomacy Ambassador Steven Mann's February 28-March
1 visit to Turkmenistan received significant state and international
media coverage. State media highlighted the March 4 opening of the
first Youth Center for HIV prevention as part of the USAID CAPACITY
project. State print outlets also covered the construction of the
U.S.-funded border checkpoint "Farapawtoyollary" on the
Turkmen-Uzbek border. Post was also effective at gaining state
media coverage for the Embassy's Black History Month events in
February. However, Education and Exchanges were misconstrued in the
state press by the still obstructionist Ministry of Education END
SUMMARY.

MANN'S VISIT RECEIVES WIDE MEDIA COVERAGE


3. (U) On February 27, the "Watan" TV news program (Turkmen) and
government website "Turkmenistan-Golden Age"
(www.turkmenistan.gov.tm) (Turkmen, English, Russian) announced
Mann's upcoming arrival in Turkmenistan, giving accurate details of
his planned meetings in the country. Similar reports appeared the
following day in the state-run dailies, "Neytralniy Turkmenistan"
(Russian, circ. 43,091) and "Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, circ. 29,091).
Content from the February 28 broadcast of the "Watan" TV news
program and the government website, "Turkmenistan-Golden Age,"
accurately highlighted Mann's meeting with President Berdimuhamedov.
The same day, the BBC Monitoring Central Asian (English) and
Russian news agencies "Interfax" (Russian, English),"IA REGNUM"
(Russian) based on the state media coverage, gave accurate coverage
of the meeting. Similar reports appeared the following day on the
front pages of the state-run dailies, "Neytralniy Turkmenistan"
(Russian, circ. 43,361) and "Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, circ. 29,091).



4. (U) The "Reuters" (English, Russian) February 29 articles gave
accurate coverage of Mann's visit to Turkmenistan. The articles
accurately quoted Mann's remarks regarding the export routes of
Turkmen gas to Europe, and President Berdimuhamedov's strategy in
developing the energy sector. The Russian publication "Vremya
Novosti" (Russian),instead placed a disproportionate emphasis on
Mann's visit as part of the State Department's efforts to promote a
Trans-Caspian Pipeline and convince President Berdimuhamedov to
participate in the project. (NOTE: The Reuters article was based
on a post-arranged exclusive interview with Mann in Ashgabat. END
NOTE.)

STATE MEDIA HIGHLIGHT U.S.-FUNDED YOUTH CENTER OPENING


5. (U) The state-run dailies "Neytralniy Turkmenistan" (Russian,
circ. 44,791) and "Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, circ. 29,091) ran
articles on March 5 highlighting the U.S.-funded HIV-prevention
Youth Center opening in Ashgabat. The articles were informative and
accurate. The "Neytralniy Turkmenistan" article also carried
generally accurate interview remarks by the Charge. The event
received short coverage on the state "Altyn Asyr" (Turkmen) and
"Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, Russian, English, French, Chinese, Arabian
and Persian) TV Channels. Post's Public Affairs Section, actively
solicited and received state media coverage.

STATE PRINT OUTLETS HIGHLIGHT U.S.-FUNDED BORDER POST PROJECT


6. (U) The state-run dailies "Neytralniy Turkmenistan" (Russian,
circ. 44,791) and "Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, circ. 29,091) highlighted
the construction of "Farapawtoyollary" border checkpoint, which is
to become operational in the second half of 2008. The article
accurately noted that the project was funded by the United States.
The article also accurately noted that a similar border checkpoint,
"Imamnazar," was opened in August 2007 (reftel). The newspapers ran
this coverage without any prompting from post, and the article is
noticeably more focused on information than on praise or spin
favoring the government.

STATE MEDIA HIGHLIGHT BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENTS

ASHGABAT 00000355 002 OF 002




7. (U) The U.S. Embassy in Turkmenistan conducted a series of
school presentations, a movie festival, and Jazz and Blues concert
in honor of Black History Month, which ran February 6-28. The state
daily "Neytralniy Turkmenistan" (Russian, circ. 44,791) February 12
article highlighted the celebration with an accurate and informative
article about Black History Month and provided detailed information
about post-conducted events. On February 26, "Altyn Asyr" TV
Channel broadcast coverage about the movie festival; however, some
of the message was "lost in translation." Among mostly accurate
Turkmen translation, "Altyn Asyr" mistakenly reported that
African-American history month was about the history of America and
Africa. (NOTE: This confusing error did not egregiously change the
message or intent of the TV piece as a whole. END NOTE.)
Turkmenistan TV channel highlighted the concert with a 15-minute
report on the event. Both TV channel reports included interviews by
embassy officials.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION TAKES ALL THE CREDIT


8. (SBU) On March 7, state newspaper "Neutralniy Turkmenistan" ran
an article reviewing the first year of reform in the country's
educational sector. The article more or less credited the Ministry
of Education (MOE) for the exchange programs carried out by foreign
governments, companies, or international organizations (including
U.S. exchange programs). It even praised the increase in the number
of FLEX high school exchange students studying in the United States,
implying that this was achieved by MOE. (NOTE: Of course, there
was no mention of MOE's history of interference in the program and
its recent official suggestion to reduce the number of slots for
FLEX. END NOTE.)


9. (SBU) COMMENT: More than a year after reforms and greater
openness started to appear in Turkmenistan, post's contact with
state media has become almost routine and nearly always positive.
Post's efforts to attract state media coverage of Black History
Month events and the Youth Center opening were smooth. Journalists'
requests that Embassy interviewees "thank" the President have ended,
and stories about Embassy programs that are modified to meet the
regime's tastes have nearly disappeared.


10. (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED: In addition, post's contact with the
limited number of foreign news outlets present in Turkmenistan has
also been highly successful. However, post's ability to influence
accurate Russian-based media coverage remains minimal. This is
evidenced by the differing accounts of Reuters and "Vremya Novosti"
above. END COMMENT.

HOAGLAND