Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASHGABAT499
2009-04-20 10:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:  

RFE/RL'S TURKMEN SERVICE: "SALTY" INTERNAL

Tags:  PREL PGOV KPAO TX 
pdf how-to read a cable
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RR RUEHWEB

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R 201037Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2684
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5105
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2856
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2721
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 3349
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3483
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000499 

SIPDIS

SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/20/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO TX
SUBJECT: RFE/RL'S TURKMEN SERVICE: "SALTY" INTERNAL
DISPUTES?

Classified By: Charge Richard Miles, reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000499

SIPDIS

SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/20/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO TX
SUBJECT: RFE/RL'S TURKMEN SERVICE: "SALTY" INTERNAL
DISPUTES?

Classified By: Charge Richard Miles, reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Post's recent contact with RFE/RL's Turkmen
service reveals an alarming dispute related to journalistic
integrity within the organization. Post,s main point of
contact with RFE/RL in Ashgabat believes he is being
marginalized for his lack of "salty" reporting, and despite
his submission of informative and honest news stories.
Post's email exchange with an overseas RFE/RL correspondent
confirms his account and reveals a conflict between the
Turkmen service's role as either informative medium or biased
opposition. This emphasis on "salty" or harshly critical
reporting may help form the opinions of both the Turkmen
Government and private listeners in Turkmenistan regarding
RFE/RL's legitimacy. END SUMMARY

BRIEF BACKGROUND ON POST'S RECENT WORK WITH RFE/RL

2. (SBU) Post's Public Affairs Section has worked the past
few months with RFE/RL's principal correspondent in
Turkmenistan, Halmyrat Gylychdurdiyev, to encourage balanced
news and information that is useful to Turkmen listeners.
Gylychdurdiyev has also acknowledged that during the same
period he has received occasional instructions from RFE/RL in
Prague to create balanced stories, and to reduce personal or
negative, editorial comments that appeared in his stories.
While always ready to "report the truth" however negative,
Gylychdurdiyev has found that the "softer" stance has likely
reduced low-level harassment directed against him by Turkmen
authorities. He also noted that he occasionally meets
listeners who express their admiration for his stories
especially because they are more informative or interesting
than most RFE/RL stories. Post has also heard anecdotal
comments from listeners that they view Gylychdurdiyev,s
recent reporting as balanced and informative. This trend
toward more neutral reporting appears to be the subject of
in-fighting in RFE/RL's Turkmen service.
AN UNUSUAL INTERVIEW REQUEST FROM RFE/RL HEADQUARTERS

3. (SBU) On Wednesday, April 15, post's PAO received an
unusual email from RFE/RL correspondent, Tahir Mohammed,
requesting a phone interview with A/S Richard Boucher who was
in country April 15-16. Usually, Post arranges interviews

with Halmyrat Gylychdurdiyev. Mohammed,s email justified
arranging his own interview by phone instead because
Gylychdurdiyev sometimes fails to get the "SALTY comments"
which make for a good news item, "you know what I mean." PAO
replied to Mohammed's email expressing concern that seeking
specifically "SALTY," negative, or insulting comments from
official U.S. visitors betrayed a commitment to objective
journalism and would appear to defy RFE/RL's intended role as
a legitimate and independent news outlet. Not noted in the
email reply was also the concern that Mohammed might have
been attempting to steal Gylychdurdiyev's interview.
DEFINING "SALTY"

4. (SBU) Later the same day, Mohammed sent a reply email,
clarifying that by "SALTY" he meant "current news. " To be
sure there was no cross-cultural misunderstanding, PAO polled
local staff on the connotation of "salty comments" in either
Turkmen or Russian language. All staff presumed this to mean
something negative. In Turkmen this would likely mean
something insulting or which has a negative double meaning.
In Russian, "salty" comments would clearly have a negative
meaning, and perhaps be used to describe an offensive or
obscene joke. (When asked if it could possibly mean "current
news" all respondents chuckled or shook their heads in
disbelief.)
LOCAL CORRESPONDENT GYLYCHDURDIYEV: LACKS "SALT"?

5. (C) Post arranged a short interview for A/S Boucher with
RFE/RL's Gylychdurdiyev on Thursday, April 16. Following the
interview, PAO took the opportunity to discuss with
Gylychdurdiyev the email exchange with Mohammed from the
previous day. First, PAO expressed concern about Mohammed's
interest in obtaining negative interview comments (without
using the word "salty"). Gylychdurdiyev explained that he
was also concerned by this, noting that his "softer"
reporting in recent months was drawing criticism from his

RFE/RL colleagues for not being "salty" enough. PAO noted
that this was the same term used by Mohammed, and asked
Gylychdurdiyev to define its meaning. Answer: "criticism" or
"something negative." Gylychdurdiyev defended his recent
work as informative, fair, and still critical when it
reflected reality.
MARGINALIZED FOR A LACK OF "SALT"?

6. (C) When discussing the apparent attempt by Mohammed to
steal away the A/S Boucher interview, Gylychdurdiyev
explained that he had the sense he was slowly being "cut
out" of his role in the Turkmen service. He noted that
recently only one or two of his stories were broadcast each
week, compared to four or five in the past. In particular,
there were two recent stories, which he personally felt were
worthy of airtime that were never aired because they were
"not salty enough." One story was about the conversion of
free quotas for household utilities into standardized charges
based on usage. The story explained the conversion,
estimated costs, and interviewed locals who gave honest
opinions -- many negative -- about the change. The second
story noted that natural gas industry workers were being
provided with better uniforms and protective gear than in the
past. Gylychdurdiyev had investigated and reported
corruption claims that managers in Mary province were selling
the gear at the local markets for personal profit instead.
Gylychdurdiyev noted that both stories would have been useful
to his listeners and did not hold back on any negative, but
truthful information. He also explained that many of his
recent stories had reported on positive policy initiatives by
the President and then examined the quality of the policy's
implementation often including shortcomings. According to
Gylychdurdiyev, colleagues criticized many of these stories
as "not salty enough."

7. (C) COMMENT: Post believes that RFE/RL's Turkmen service
overall has had a spotty record in the past two years of
reporting accurately on sincere reform efforts, and instead,
often reported only negative aspects, or in the worst cases,
reported unconfirmed or unlikely stories of government abuse.
Such reporting has led to two results: continued distrust
by the government and a lack of legitimacy among many Turkmen
listeners who doubt the accuracy of the Turkmen service
reporting. Therefore, it is encouraging to see Halmyrat
Gylychdurdiyev, the principal Turkmen service correspondent
in Turkmenistan for the last four plus years, broadening the
style of coverage with an eye to informing the Turkmen
public. While recognizing that this cable reflects only one
side of an apparent dispute in RFE/RL's Turkmen service, post
is concerned about an apparent internal battle that may be
belittling credible, independent journalism. The email
exchange (noted in para. 5 and 6) seems to support this view.
Gylychdurdiyev's sometimes more balanced reporting may even
be making a small but positive impact on the Turkmen
Government's impression of RFE/RL, as evidenced by
Gylychdurdiyev's claim of reduced trouble with the
authorities. Anecdotally, listeners seem to appreciate
Gylychdurdy's reporting as interesting and useful. It would
be a shame, if in fact Gylychdurdiyev were marginalized
because he focuses on objective reporting instead of "salty"
reporting.
MILES