Page 3 - atoday
P. 3
U.S. NEWS A3
Wednesday 4 November
Kerry makes rare visit to
rich, odd Turkmenistan
BRADLEY KLAPPER opment and openness, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, arrives for a meeting with Turkmenistan’s President Gur-
Associated Press rights groups and Kerry’s banguly Berdimuhamedov at the Oguzkhan Presidential Palace in Ashgabat Tuesday, Nov. 3,
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan own State Department say 2015.
(AP) — Turkmenistan’s ritu- each routinely abuses hu-
als range from the bizarre man rights. (Brendan Smialowski/Pool Photo via AP)
to the brutal. The Central Turkmenistan, which con-
Asian nation has more sistently ranks among the the Soviet Union and led un- periodicals and public or- writing a two-volume spiri-
marble buildings than any- most corrupt nations and til his death in 2006, renam- ganizations after himself tual tome that became
where and recently erect- isolates itself in a way that ing cities, streets, months, and family members, and mandatory reading.q
ed a seven-story, golden draws comparisons to
statue of its president on North Korea, is arguably
horseback, while human the worst of the bunch. But
rights groups say it employs Western nations, like Russia
electric shocks, rape and and China, continue to en-
forced intake of psychotro- gage the country, in part
pic drugs as torture tech- because it holds some of
niques. the world’s deepest gas re-
Yet for all the mockery and serves.
criticism, Turkmenistan also With almost no indepen-
is rich in gas reserves and dent scrutiny in the coun-
relatively stable. And posi- try, it is impossible to deter-
tioned just north of Afghan- mine how many political
istan and Iran, it has made prisoners the government
itself a valuable partner for is holding. Some have dis-
the United States in a dan- appeared in prisons, cut
gerous part of the world. off from contact with their
For these reasons, U.S. Sec- families and the outside
retary of State John Kerry world, rights campaigners
ventured Tuesday to a say. Lately, the govern-
place few world leaders ment has been seizing pri-
and even fewer journal- vate satellite dishes to pre-
ists or human rights moni- vent outside information
tors ever see, dangling the from entering.
opportunity of greater U.S. No secretary of state had
investment, expanded se- visited Turkmenistan since
curity cooperation and a James Baker in 1992. Ker-
strategic counterweight to ry’s trip was brief, with only
nearby Russia and China if one event: A meeting
the government improves with President Gurbanguli
its human rights record. Berdymukhamedov.
Kerry issued a similar of- “In the gold domed presi-
fer earlier in the day in Ta- dential palace, Berdy-
jikistan, echoing weekend mukhamedov hailed the
pitches in Kyrgyzstan, Uz- new “dynamic relation-
bekistan and Kazakhstan. ship” between Turkmeni-
Speaking Monday at Ka- stan and the U.S.
zakhstan’s Nazarbayev Kerry said, “We can do
University, he addressed more together to help your
the challenge facing the people develop some of
region’s governments, par- the skill sets necessary in
ticularly as they respond to this modern economy.”
the threat of expanded Is- Berdymukhamedov, whose
lamic State activity. official title is Arkadag, or
“The terrorist presence “Protector,” has ruled Turk-
alone doesn’t give authori- menistan with an iron fist
ties a license to use vio- for almost a decade, con-
lence indiscriminately,” he trolling all aspects of life in
told a crowd that included the mostly Muslim nation
the Kazakh prime minister, of 5 million people on the
senators, foreign diplomats Caspian Sea. Citizens sing
and students. He said fear songs in Berdymukham-
about extremist groups “is edov’s honor. Imams pray
not a legitimate excuse for him.
to lock up political oppo- But the 58-year-old former
nents, diminish the rights of dentist is seen as an im-
civil society or pin a false provement from his pre-
label on activists who are decessor, Saparmurat Ni-
engaged in peaceful dis- yazov, or Turkmenbashi, the
sent.” “Father of the Turkmen.”
Although the five “Stans” Niyazov took control during
vary significantly in devel- Turkmenistan’s final years in
