Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT561
2008-05-02 14:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: REMOVING SATELLITE DISHES -- BAD
how-toVZCZCXRO4146 PP RUEHAG RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV DE RUEHAH #0561 1231429 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 021429Z MAY 08 ZDK FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0733 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 3721 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1539 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1406 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1975 RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2485
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000561
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2018
TAGS: PGOV ECON SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: REMOVING SATELLITE DISHES -- BAD
IDEAS ARE BEST FORGOTTEN
REF: A. ASHGABAT 431
B. ASHGABAT 544
Classified By: CDA Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000561
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2018
TAGS: PGOV ECON SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: REMOVING SATELLITE DISHES -- BAD
IDEAS ARE BEST FORGOTTEN
REF: A. ASHGABAT 431
B. ASHGABAT 544
Classified By: CDA Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) Since President Berdimuhamedov's late 2007 decision
that privately-owned satellite dishes should be removed from
the outside of apartment buildings in an effort to beautify
the city, nervous residents have wondered what this would
mean for them. Satellite TV (and it's access to foreign news
(mostly Russian) and entertainment) is an addiction for many
Turkmen. People worried that their access would be
restricted and/or the price (for what had been free TV,
except for the cost of the satellite dish) would sky rocket.
Now, due to push back from the public, that decision has been
rescinded. The building administrator of an elite apartment
building, which had held a town meeting on the satellite dish
issue (Ref. A),told EmbOff (who is also a building resident)
that the mayor's office had called off the removal. Clearly
relieved that this issue was now over, the administrator said
that "maybe someone complained to the president." Other
guards in the building also thought that people were
complaining a lot about removal of the satellite dishes,
hinting that this had an impact on the decision to rescind --
or forget -- the decree.
3. (SBU) We had also heard from other sources that the
satellite removal order had been rescinded. One
well-connected landlord of Embassy-leased housing also told
us that the decree to remove satellite dishes was quietly
forgotten. In her opinion, a critical mass of well-connected
local residents in a prestigious neighborhood insisted that
the mayor's office present a plan regarding how residents
would maintain their foreign channel selection, before the
dishes were removed. The mayor's office realized that it
could not comply with these demands and backed down.
4. (SBU) Less well-to-do locals have reported that for the
last month or so there has been radio silence on the
satellite dish issue from government officials and building
administrators. Officials told one local EMBASSY employee
over a month ago that his satellite dish had to come down
immediately, but no one ever came to take it down and no more
has been said about it. One person told us it is as if the
decision has "faded away."
5. (SBU) COMMENT: There has been increasing grumbling in
the population about inflation and currency rate changes,
with people putting the blame squarely on the president. The
satellite dish removal decision was also one of the more
unpopular presidential diktats. Given the push back and the
sour mood of many Turkmen, officials may have thought it
would be better to relent on the satellite dishes. END
COMMENT.
CURRAN
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2018
TAGS: PGOV ECON SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: REMOVING SATELLITE DISHES -- BAD
IDEAS ARE BEST FORGOTTEN
REF: A. ASHGABAT 431
B. ASHGABAT 544
Classified By: CDA Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) Since President Berdimuhamedov's late 2007 decision
that privately-owned satellite dishes should be removed from
the outside of apartment buildings in an effort to beautify
the city, nervous residents have wondered what this would
mean for them. Satellite TV (and it's access to foreign news
(mostly Russian) and entertainment) is an addiction for many
Turkmen. People worried that their access would be
restricted and/or the price (for what had been free TV,
except for the cost of the satellite dish) would sky rocket.
Now, due to push back from the public, that decision has been
rescinded. The building administrator of an elite apartment
building, which had held a town meeting on the satellite dish
issue (Ref. A),told EmbOff (who is also a building resident)
that the mayor's office had called off the removal. Clearly
relieved that this issue was now over, the administrator said
that "maybe someone complained to the president." Other
guards in the building also thought that people were
complaining a lot about removal of the satellite dishes,
hinting that this had an impact on the decision to rescind --
or forget -- the decree.
3. (SBU) We had also heard from other sources that the
satellite removal order had been rescinded. One
well-connected landlord of Embassy-leased housing also told
us that the decree to remove satellite dishes was quietly
forgotten. In her opinion, a critical mass of well-connected
local residents in a prestigious neighborhood insisted that
the mayor's office present a plan regarding how residents
would maintain their foreign channel selection, before the
dishes were removed. The mayor's office realized that it
could not comply with these demands and backed down.
4. (SBU) Less well-to-do locals have reported that for the
last month or so there has been radio silence on the
satellite dish issue from government officials and building
administrators. Officials told one local EMBASSY employee
over a month ago that his satellite dish had to come down
immediately, but no one ever came to take it down and no more
has been said about it. One person told us it is as if the
decision has "faded away."
5. (SBU) COMMENT: There has been increasing grumbling in
the population about inflation and currency rate changes,
with people putting the blame squarely on the president. The
satellite dish removal decision was also one of the more
unpopular presidential diktats. Given the push back and the
sour mood of many Turkmen, officials may have thought it
would be better to relent on the satellite dishes. END
COMMENT.
CURRAN