TURKMENISTAN'S PRESIDENT WANTS NATIONAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001145 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN; EEB COMMERCE FOR EHOUSE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EINT EINV ECON PINR PGOV TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S PRESIDENT WANTS NATIONAL SATELLITE ¶1. (U) Sensitive But Unclassified. Not for Public Internet. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov announced plans to launch the country's first national satellite. The satellite would support telephone and Internet communications, hydrocarbon industries, and Turkmen TV channels. The satellite might also service the automated system of road traffic control. The government announced that the new satellite would greatly improve Internet access throughout the country, while providing valuable data to help solve environmental issues in the Aral and Caspian seas. There seems to be consensus among our contacts in Ashgabat that a national satellite would lead not only to greater communications, but also to greater government monitoring of the population. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (SBU) On September 5, Berdimuhamedov instructed Deputy Chairman for Transport and Communications Nazarguly Shagulyev to prepare a request for proposals for Turkmenistan's first national communications satellite. The Turkmen leader stated "When Turkmenistan has its own satellite, it will provide a powerful impetus for speeding up the development of the communications system, and the Internet and television channels in the country; it will speed up the implementation of environmental programs and broaden opportunities for using state-of-the-art methods for hydrocarbon and mineral exploration, as well as the successful implementation of many other national programs." ¶4. (SBU) To date, Turkmenistan has depended on Russian satellites for its communication needs. Five Turkmen government-controlled TV channels are broadcast via the Russian satellite "Yamal," which is reportedly owned by Gazprom media holdings. Given strained Turkmen-Russian relations over gas, the argument for a Turkmen satellite, in lieu of renting from the Russians, has only strengthened since April when Russia stopped buying Turkmen gas. ¶5. (SBU) Greater government control of its hydrocarbon resources is rumored to be one of the chief motivators for a Turkmen national satellite. Major oil deposits in Turkmenistan lie in the western part of the country; whereas, the largest natural gas fields are in the southeast, making it difficult for the government to monitor production sites without a satellite. With increased foreign investment in the sector, it is reported that the Turkmen Oil & Gas Ministry has been ordered to use satellite monitoring systems on its foreign partners. It is rumored that employees of some foreign energy companies have been recently caught stealing oil and gas products, which elevated the need for more high-tech monitoring. Embassy sources also told us that the government plans to use the satellite to monitor gas stations across the country, since gasoline in Turkmenistan is subsidized by the government and very cheap. As a result, some of the cheap gasoline is reportedly smuggled to neighboring Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. ¶6. (SBU) Experts believe that a Turkmen satellite will not automatically mean improved Internet and mobile service capability for private service providers, but overall Internet access would increase, meshing with ASHGABAT 00001145 002 OF 002 recent government promises to make the Internet available to all Turkmen citizens. Other sources opined that the Turkmen government would continue to follow the Chinese model of strictly regulating the Internet. ¶7. (SBU) COMMENT: In sharp contrast to the previous president, who launched his spiritual epic and guidance book known as the "Ruhnama" into space via a specially designed container placed in a satellite, the current Turkmen president seems to at least acknowledge the need to improve Turkmen communications capabilities. But even if the new satellite does provide greater connection to the outside world, it could also be used to increase government monitoring and control. END COMMENT. CURRAN