TURKMENISTAN: SUN-FACING NIYAZOV STATUE HEADING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000573

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/06/2018
TAGS: PGOV SOCI SCUL TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: SUN-FACING NIYAZOV STATUE HEADING
INTO THE SUNSET

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1.4 (B)
and (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Many Ashgabat residents were surprised when
Turkmenistan's President Berdimuhamedov directed on May 3
that the Arch of Neutrality, with its rotating gold-plated
statue of former president Saparmurat Niyazov, should be
moved from its current location in downtown Ashgabat to the
mouth of "Neutrality Street." The original constructor of
the Arch, the Turkish firm Polimeks, was also surprised --
and still is, as the government has not contacted the company
about its plans. One depiction of the new arch, shown on a
television newscast, showed it with a Turkmen flag flying on
the top -- minus the golden Niyazov statue that turns to face
the sun. Polimeks says the arch cannot be "moved," but
rather would have to be destroyed and rebuilt. We see this
step, to get rid of one of the most infamous and visible
symbols of Niyazov's cult of personality, as part of a larger
effort of de-Niyazovication, along with the phase-out of the
unique month and day names Niyazov created. END SUMMARY.

NEWS CAME AS A SURPRISE


2. (SBU) One sentence buried in the middle of an article on
a May 3 Cabinet of Ministers meeting in the official
Russian-language government newspaper "Neytralniy
Turkmenistan" announced that the Arch of Neutrality, with its
rotating gold-plated statue of former president Saparmurat
Niyazov, would be moved from its current location in downtown
Ashgabat to the mouth of "Neutrality Street" in a southern
suburb of the city. In making this announcement, the
president suggested that it would be "rational" to establish
this monument in the south of the city, where Turkmenistan's
"Neutrality Street" begins and a modern architectural park is
to be formed. The televised picture of the new Neutrality
Arch showed it sporting a flag of Turkmenistan, rather than
the gold statue of Niyazov.


3. (SBU) The news came as a surprise to many locals. Some
learned the news from Russian television. Many doubted that
the original Arch would be moved, noting that it was built to
last using a tremendous amount of steel and concrete. (NOTE:
Polimeks, currently the largest Turkish construction company
operating in Turkmenistan, built the Arch at a cost of $12
million. END NOTE.) Locals interpreted the lack of
elaboration on the news and in the newspaper as the
government's desire to avoid focusing too much attention on
this issue.

FURTHER SIGN OF DE-NIYAZOVICATION


4. (C) While news reports implied that the transfer of the
Arch was appropriate in light of its relocation to the mouth
of Neutrality Street, Ashgabat residents recognized
immediately that the Arch's current location already places
it squarely at one end of Neutrality Street -- and
furthermore, transferring the Arch to Neutrality Street and
Archabil Avenue in the southern neighborhood of Berzengi
would move it from the focal point of the city, diminishing
its importance. Most agreed that the decision is the most
open broadside yet aimed at Niyazov's cult of personality.
Supporting this interpretation is the fact that the arch
currently is located just across the presidential plaza from
the New Presidential Palace. The presidential office in the
palace is located where the president could easily look out
the window from his desk and see the statue. Many question
whether Berdimuhamedov would take the same pleasure in seeing
the statue as his predecessor, particularly when growing
disgruntlement over the current president's economic reforms
is leading citizens to compare Berdimuhamedov unfavorably
with Niyazov.

POLIMEKS SAYS "MUST BE A KIND OF SECRET"

ASHGABAT 00000573 002 OF 002




5. (C) Caner Demir, Architect and Deputy Planning Manager at
Polimeks, found out about the plans to move/remove the Arch
from his wife, a diplomat at the Turkish Embassy, who read
about it in the newspaper. Demir said that no one from the
Government of Turkmenistan contacted Polimeks about the
Arch's removal and suggested that "it must be a kind of
secret." He confirmed that it is impossible to move the Arch
-- if the intention is to relocate the Arch, it will have to
be demolished and rebuilt from scratch. Demir thought that
Polimeks might know more about plans for the
removal/replacement of the Arch in a month and hypothesized
that the government might intend to build a park/recreation
center in the Arch's current location.


6. (SBU) COMMENT: With its faulty elevators, a
non-functional restaurant and, of course, the famous golden
statue that rotates so it always faces the sun, the arch
stands as a monument to Niyazov's cult of personality.
Berdimuhamedov has moved during his 14 months in power to
"de-Niyazovify" the city and the country as well as put his
own stamp on things. He has named this new epoch,
Turkmenistan's "Great Revival" and it has included moving out
of the isolation Niyazov imposed and reaching out to
partners, especially commercial partners, in the region and
beyond. He reversed Niyazov's disastrous policy on education
by restoring a 10th year of education, Niyazov's "book of the
soul" -- the Ruhnama -- has been de-emphasized, and many
photos, paintings, and posters dedicated to the Ruhnama or
Niyazov have disappeared or have been replaced by something
else. The government is also phasing out the unique month
and day names Niyazov created. We fully expect
de-Niyazovication will continue. END COMMENT.
CURRAN