TURKMENISTAN: GOVERNMENT ORGANIZED HARVEST

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001541 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN; ANKARA FOR AGRICULTURE COUNSELOR E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2019 TAGS: EAGR PGOV PREL SOCI TX JA SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: GOVERNMENT ORGANIZED HARVEST FESTIVAL LACKED POPULAR APPEAL REF: ASHGABAT 1390 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Peter T. Eckstrom. Reasons 1.4 (B) an d (D). ¶1. (U) Turkmenistan celebrated its annual harvest holiday on the last Sunday of November. The festival was a state-centric event, with the booths focused on promoting Turkmenistan's national industries. There were booths dedicated to sheep and wool products, Ahal-teke horses, cotton, and wheat products. In addition, the state-run grocery store had numerous stands selling such products as soft drinks, fruit, dairy products, and sausages. The Japanese mining and construction equipment manufacturer Komatsu was the only non-Turkmen company with a booth. They had a display showing a model irrigation system, with remote-control tractors that attracted attendees' attention. After the short opening ceremony, Turkmen government officials, foreign diplomats, and students were lead through the exhibitions up to a concert area, where troops of brightly-costumed dancers, an orchestra, singers, and comedians performed. ¶2. (SBU) This event was aimed at locals, since all of the announcements were made only in Turkmen. However, Poloff saw very few people who appeared to have come to the event of their own volition. As soon as the concert ended, the area emptied out at lightening speed. In addition, although a saleslady at one of the food booths claimed that she had sold a lot during the evening, Poloff did not see any attendees eating or drinking. The one group that genuinely seemed to enjoy the concert, especially the comedians, were award-winning agricultural workers from various regions around Turkmenistan. The Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers for Agriculture, Myratgeldi Akmammedov, presented them with certificates and large televisions, gift wrapped in shiny, bright green paper, the color of the Turkmen flag. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: The Harvest holiday coincided with Kurban Bayram, the Turkmen version of Eid al-Adha, which locals celebrate by sacrificing a sheep and inviting friends and family for a large meal. (NOTE: Only very traditional families still sacrifice animals. Particularly in cities, many families choose to make a monetary donation instead. END NOTE.) The agro-industrial complex that put on the harvest festival did not attempt to combine the two holidays. Much like Independence Day (reftel),the overbearing government control of the festivities quashed the possibility of enjoyment. The harvest festival had the potential to be a nice gesture from the government to the people and a demonstration of the government's slogan "government for the people," if the general public had been allowed to come and go when they wished, partake of free food, and listen to only as much of the concert as they wanted. However, the Turkmen Government's preference for formality and its apparent need to ensure that high-level local and foreign officials are seen at every event turned the harvest festival into another command performance, which locals knew to avoid. END COMMENT. ECKSTROM