Joshua Frost from Registan writes in TCS Daily that, following the death of the all powerful Turkmenbashi, next month’s presidential election offers a shining opportunity to bring the country’s ÄnowÅ more dynamic political elite into America’s sphere of influence. After all, Turkmenistan is an incredibly strategic important country. To cite a few examples that he gives, it lies between both Iran and Afghanistan, not to mention on top of 260 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Not to mention that Turkmenbashi’s repression may lead to a surge of interest in radical Islam in the country, there are at least three…

While last week’s eulogy of President Niyazov that I posted was largely sarcastic and bordered on the maniacally gleeful, I did manage to go into some detail of what I thought would occur with regards to the transition from all Turkmenbashi, all the time to whatever form the next government takes. Mentioning the huge amount of natural gas the lies underneath those sands, there will certainly be a power struggle within the country unless its elites create some form of Politburo-style consensus powersharing. There will certainly be no democratic transition, and this is certainly echoed by every major power that…

The great and illustrious leader of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov, died today from a heart attack. Pretty impressive way to go for a guy who was supposed to live forever in all of his godliness. Of all the countries in the world, Turkmenistan is perhaps one of the worst in terms of poverty, economic and politics freedoms, and just about every other indicator to the general health of the society. Turkmenbashi was able to create such a utopian society through the careful construction of a massive cult of personality since the end of the Soviet Union. In fact, the man has…

Going after the families of dissidents still in the country is a common tactic of dictatorships, so this really shouldn’t come as a surprise. Registan reports on testimony implicating the regime in what it does best. Pressure on dissenters and their associates or families has long been a common factor in Turkmenistan according to Farid Tukhbatulin. He heads the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights, another Turkmen rights group. ???????If the authorities cannot get those who are abroad then their families and relatives who live in the country are harassed,??????? said Tukhbatulin, speaking from Vienna. He added that his brother had…