TURKISH GULENIST MOVEMENT IN TURKMENISTAN:

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ASHGABAT 000491

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, CA
FRANKFURT FOR RCO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/17/2019
TAGS: PGOV CVIS TU TX
SUBJECT: TURKISH GULENIST MOVEMENT IN TURKMENISTAN:
EDUCATORS AND WHAT ELSE?

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Richard Miles. Reasons 1.4 (B) a
nd (D).


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Turkish-run schools in Turkmenistan have
been surprisingly successful since their start in 1993. The
schools, which include language centers, high schools and a
university, are loosely linked by their affiliation with the
Beshkent Educational Firm, which is the financial
organization of the Fetullah Gulen Islamic Movement in
Turkmenistan. The schools produce some of the best-qualified
students in the country, and fill a sorely missing need in
Turkmenistan,s educational system. The school
administrators in Turkmenistan emphasize Gulen,s educational
philosophies of promoting dialogue among cultures and
emphasizing science and technology as a way for Islam to
progress into the modern world. While the schools seem to be
doing much good for Turkmenistan, there are concerns that
Gulenist charter schools in the U.S. are capitalizing on the
local successes to petition for visas for marginally
qualified temporary workers. Even so, it may be worth
exploring partnerships with these schools as a way to reach
some of Turkmenistan,s future leaders. END SUMMARY.

OVERVIEW

2. (U) Turkish Gulenist-affiliated educational institutions
are spread throughout Turkmenistan. Beshkent Language and
Computer Centers currently have a presence in 8 different
cities, with plans to expand soon, and reach upwards of 3000
students with the English language courses alone. Boys, and
girls, Turkmen-Turkish high schools are in each of the
provincial capitals, and Ashgabat hosts the locally
prestigious Turkmen-Turkish University. Rather than
operating as a cohesive, interconnected network, each
institution operates largely on its own, and is connected to
the others by the overarching educational philosophy of
Fetullah Gulen, the movement,s eponymous founder, and the
financial support they get through the Beshkent Educational
Firm, which is the Gulen movement,s financial organization
in Turkmenistan. This firm collects donations from Turks
resident in Turkmenistan (as well as possibly from Gulenist
adherents in Turkey) and disburses those funds to help
support the educational activities of the movement.

3. (SBU) These schools have been operating in Turkmnistan
since about 1993, concurrent with the arrival in Turkmenistan
of Muammer Turkyilmaz, a Turkish national and self-described
&close friend8 of Fetullah Gulen. Turkyilmaz became a
Deputy Minister of Education under President Niyazov, and was
reappointed by the current President Berdimuhammedov,
specifically in appreciation for his work in Turkmenistan.
Turkyilmaz seems to provide top cover for the educational
operation, and provides the vital personal interface between
the schools collectively and the Government of Turkmenistan.
Without him, it is unlikely that the schools would have
survived long under Niyazov.

4. (SBU) The education centers, schools and university are
in high demand because they provide a much higher quality of
education than that offered by Turkmenistan,s educational
system. All three shifts of the English language courses at
the Beshkent centers are always oversubscribed, and entrance
into the schools and University are highly competitive.
According to an associate professor of history at Western
Carolina University who taught in the Turkmen-Turkish
University and has extensively researched the Gulenist
movement in Turkmenistan and Central Asia, parents want their
children to have an education at least at the Soviet level,
if not better. After Niyazov,s educational &reforms,8
which gutted the Soviet structures and incorporated his "holy
book," the Ruhnama into every subject, Gulenist schools
represent the only option to Turkmen parents, in spite of
some reservations about the pervasiveness of Islamic behavior
modeled in the school and the relatively high cost.
COMPUTER AND LANGUAGE CENTERS--AND CIVIL SOCIETY INCUBATORS?

5. (U) The Beshkent Computer and Language centers offer

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classes in Turkish and English languages and various computer
programs, to include Microsoft products, AutoCad and others.
English courses are the most popular by far, with full
classes at each of the five levels over three shifts during
the day. As part of the agreement with the Turkmen
government to operate the centers, all teachers must be fully
qualified in their field, which often means they have
graduated from a Gulenist school in Turkmenistan and
completed studies in Turkey.

6. (SBU) Another service that the language centers offer is
a place for young Turkmen to gather and interact with their
peers outside of highly-structured official school venues.
The centers have expanded over the years to encompass
well-appointed classrooms, administrative offices (at least
in Ashgabat) and rooms for social gatherings. During a
recent visit, a Beshkent center located next to the Embassy
was advertising an upcoming chess tournament as well as other
social events. These events are apparently open to any and
all comers, not just those who are enrolled in Beshkent
courses. Clement highlights the role these centers play by
providing this space for social interaction, guided by the
instructors, commitment to Gulen,s social teachings.

7. (SBU) Judging by visa applicants, the Beshkent language
centers produce competent English speakers, provided students
complete level four or five. However, we often see visa
applicants who have plateaued at the third level and who want
to go to the U.S. to study English at any of a number of
English Language Centers that offer rolling admissions via
the internet. Most of these applicants claim they picked the
school because &a friend they studied with8 at Beshkent
&is there, and told them the school has good instructors and
teaches English well.8 Given no long term plans as to why
English language would be useful, these applicants are
usually denied visas due to questionable intentions.
TURKMEN-TURKISH HIGH SCHOOLS: DISCIPLINE AND ADAPTABILITY

8. (SBU) Turkmen-Turkish high schools are located in the
capital of each province. The schools operate as boarding
schools and segregate the sexes, which goes against the
typical Turkmen model, but fits with the Gulenist movement,s
more conservative take on Islam. Principals tend to be
Turkmen, with a Turkish deputy or administrator.
Increasingly, Turkmen alumni of the Turkmen-Turkish high
schools are coming back, after attending (likely
Gulenist-affiliated) universities in Turkey or elsewhere, to
teach. As the schools increase their enrollments, this trend
is likely to continue, which provides at least one
opportunity for these especially successful graduates to put
their skills to use.

9. (U) In the first year at the school (approximately
equivalent to fifth or sixth grade in the United States),
students are exposed to a rigorous curriculum that
essentially prepares them for the following years. English
language figures prominently in the first year, and continues
for subsequent years, as do courses in math, the sciences and
technology alongside Turkish language and all the required
subjects for a Turkmen education (History of Turkmenistan,
and, previously, Ruhnama, among others). Following Gulen,s
philosophy, science subjects are taught in English, as that
is the international language of science and will enable
graduates to exchange ideas with other people. Social
studies and other topics are taught in Turkmen.

10. (U) Turkmen-Turkish schools are notable for the
structure they provide the students: the day is highly
scheduled, from rising in the morning, through the school day
and including free time in the evening before dinner where
students are free to pursue hobbies. Schools also organize
sport events for their students, akin to intramural
competitions. Weekly assemblies provide an opportunity for
the students to hear from the administration about goings on
in the school. Students can visit their families on weekends
or holidays, but many choose to stay at the school, which
offers enrichment activities.

11. (U) The school in Mary seemed well-equipped, with a

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computer lab of some 30 computers, a well-appointed
cafeteria, sports hall and two dormitory facilities (with
plans to build a third). Books in the library are in
English, Turkish and Turkmen. The principal admitted that
many of the English-language books were printed in Iran since
they can obtain them more cheaply there, but would welcome
books from any source.

12. (SBU) The schools have survived for so long and thrive
currently due to their adaptability. When the Government of
Turkmenistan required that education be conducted in Turkmen
rather than Russian, the schools made the switch immediately.
They also taught the Ruhnama (Niyazov,s infamous book) for
the time that it was required (it seems to have been quietly
phased out of the curriculum). The schools also hew to the
Turkmenistan Government,s educational philosophy of
promoting pride in Turkmenistan, and promote it with various
student-created posters that are portrayed prominently around
the schools.

13. (SBU) This fusion of advancing technology and dialogue
among nations while instilling civic virtue and patriotism
seems entirely within Gulen,s philosophy, at least as the
staff at the school in Mary explained it. One teacher, a
Turkmenistan citizen who graduated from the school, attended
university in Turkey and returned to teach at his alma mater,
explained that "respect for one,s country, traditions and
family goes hand in hand with dialogue with other people:
they are two wings of the same bird. You cannot get anywhere
without both.8
INTO THE WORLDWIDE MOVEMENT: TURKMENISTAN, THEN WHERE?

14. (U) Graduates of Turkmen-Turkish high schools and the
Turkmen-Turkish University in Ashgabat are usually the most
qualified student visa applicants in Turkmenistan. They have
completed a relatively rigorous curriculum and have been
taught critical thinking skills. They have a fairly
sophisticated world view and value education. The Deputy
Chief of Mission for the Turkish embassy in Ashgabat reports
that graduates of these schools do extremely well on Turkish
university entrance examinations and often receive
significant scholarships.

15. (SBU) On the other hand, in summer/fall of 2008, the
consular section received a number of visa applications for
highly-skilled temporary workers (H1B) to go teach in charter
schools in the U.S. The applicants all had in common a tie
to a Gulenist school, either in Turkey or in Turkmenistan.
Their qualifications were uneven at best. Some were bona
fide teachers with several years of experience and advanced
degrees. Others claimed teaching experience by
&assisting,8 &volunteering,8 or &substituting8 at a
Gulenist school (language center or high school) in
Turkmenistan. These minimally-qualified applicants prompted
further investigation, and it turns out that the charter
schools in the U.S. are also part of the broader Gulenist
movement. The minimally-qualified applicants, petitions
were returned to DHS for revocation based on a lack of
qualifications, such as their inability to speak English,
possession of degrees not related to the subjects that they
intended to teach and further lack of understanding of basic
math concepts (when they were going to teach math or science
subjects).

16. (U) As indicated above, many Gulen graduates return to
teach in the system from which they graduated. Others find
jobs abroad, such as in Turkey or the Emirates. Still
others, especially Turkmen-Turkish University graduates, land
jobs with international companies operating in the country.
In nearly every case, these students are bright up-and-comers
that Turkmenistan would do well to hold onto if at all
possible, provided of course that the government can learn to
accept citizens with critical thinking skills.
BUT WHAT ABOUT FETULLAH?

17. (SBU) When asked about Fetullah Gulen and his
philosophies, the universal response was a preparatory intake
of breath, followed by a closely-hedged answer at first.
After establishing that EmbOff was truly in an information

ASHGABAT 00000491 004 OF 004


gathering mode, and had no preconceived notions,
interlocutors opened up. The Deputy Director of the Ashgabat
Beshkent Computer and Language Center emphasized Gulen,s
focus on language and dialogue among peoples as a way to
resolve conflicts. The administration and staff of the
Turkmen-Turkish School in Mary each had a slightly different
take, some emphasizing science and technology, others the
focus on civic responsibility and still others highlighting
dialogue. The principle of the Mary school likened Gulen to
any other pedagogical theorist, and emphasized that the
methods seem to work for them, but implied that if another
philosophy came along that proved equally effective, they
would incorporate it into their practices.

18. (C) Interestingly, Turkish DCM Hakan Chengiz danced
around the entire question of the Turkish schools in
Ashgabat. He underscored that there is no official
relationship between the Turkish Embassy and the Turkish
schools, although the Embassy does administer university
entrance exams for graduates of the schools. When asked
specifically about Fetullah Gulen and his philosophies as
they pertain to education, Chengiz rather diplomatically
noted that &he is a controversial figure.8
CONCLUSION AND COMMENT: EDUCATORS AND WHAT ELSE?

19. (SBU) The Beshkent/Turkish school system clearly
fulfills a desperate need in Turkmenistan,s educational
system by actually teaching students necessary skills, such
as critical thinking, science and technology subjects and
foreign languages. Turkmen parents will pay significant,
additional entrance fees to enroll their children in these
schools, in spite of some noted differences with typical
Turkmen culture. Judging by visa applicants, the schools
truly are educating the next generation of Turkmenistan, and
may make up for Niyazov,s reforms.

20. (SBU) Based on these interviews, there seems to be no
overt &evangelization8 of Gulen,s secularist take on Islam
in the Turkish school system in Turkmenistan. Rather, the
teachers and staff who are involved in the Gulenist movement
live their beliefs, serving as an example for their students.


21. (SBU) Given their track record of success in
Turkmenistan, and their top cover, the Gulenist schools in
Turkmenistan might be a partner in the long run for fostering
civil society growth, or providing more, and
better-qualified, candidates for exchange programs. Consular
is already working on plans to discuss the Summer Work-Travel
program with the Turkmen-Turkish University, as these
students would likely be the only qualified applicants in the
country, and could make use of the cultural knowledge.

22. (SBU) On the other hand, we are concerned by the link
with charter schools in the U.S. that have petitioned for
marginally-qualified H1B candidates (The Kentucky Consular
Center and our posts in Turkey have started compiling a list
of these Gulenist charter schools in the US for use in visa
adjudication). These applicants were simply not convincing,
did not seem as fully &in tune8 with Gulen,s approach to
education and might be using the reputation of the school as
a cover to get to the U.S. Post, after discussions with
others in the region that see similar applicants, recommends
that these H1B candidates receive a high degree of scrutiny
before any visas are approved, especially since it seems that
our consular sections are uncovering additional information
that may enhance DHS adjudication of these petitions.
Further, Consular Affairs, Fraud Prevention might, in
concert with the Department of Homeland Security, wish to
investigate or audit these Turkish-run charter schools in the
U.S. for compliance with U.S. immigration law.
MILES