Latest news with #GurbangulyBerdimuhamedow
JAMnews
18-07-2025
- Politics
- JAMnews
'Family regimes' friendship': on the visit of Turkmenistan's ex-president to Azerbaijan
Visit of Turkmenistan's Berdimuhamedov to Azerbaijan Although the July 16–18 official visit to Azerbaijan by Turkmenistan's ex-president and 'national leader' Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow is presented as a gesture of 'friendship' and officially framed as 'energy cooperation,' it also carries clear political messages. Political commentator and founding board member of the Third Republic Platform Elman Fattah described the visit as 'ideological solidarity and mutual recognition of family-based rule' among post-Soviet authoritarian regimes. Elman Fattah: 'This is not just diplomacy – it's a manifesto between regimes' President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev welcomes Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow at Fuzuli Airport, July 17, 2025 | photo: Elman Fattah believes Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow did not come to Baku as just an ordinary former president. He is the figure shaping Turkmenistan's real political course and the main force behind the formal ruler — his son, Serdar Berdimuhamedow. 'Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow is essentially the embodiment of Turkmenistan's dynastic model of governance,' Fattah notes. In his view, this visit is not only about strengthening Turkmen-Azerbaijani relations, but also sends a message related to the intra-family transfer of power in Azerbaijan itself: 'The visit's protocol – llaying flowers at the grave of President Aliyev's father, Heydar Aliyev, jointly visiting symbolic sites – is more than a gesture of official courtesy; it is a statement of political symbolism.' 'What will Ilham Aliyev learn in order to one day hand over power to his son Heydar Aliyev?' the political commentator asks, highlighting the visit as an 'exchange of experience.' Leader cults, family rule, and symbolic protocol Elman Fattah. Photo ResPlatforma Elman Fattah notes that Berdimuhamedov's visit to the grave of Heydar Aliyev is more than just a ceremonial gesture. It is a symbolic display of the ideas of 'family rule,' 'leader cult,' and 'historical continuity.' 'These steps send a message to both domestic and external audiences: 'We are bearers of the same system, we recognize each other's legitimacy, and we reinforce it,'' he says. According to him, Ilham Aliyev is restructuring the regime he inherited from his father within a framework of family resources and an ideology rooted in cult-like leadership. Berdimuhamedov, meanwhile, opened a similar path for his son long ago. In both models, political decisions are shaped within the family orbit, while other institutions merely follow its will. The 'Dostlug' field: energy diplomacy or authoritarian consensus? In the factual section of Elman Fattah's article, he notes that the main technical agenda of the visit centers on the 'Dostlug' field, located in the Caspian Sea on the border between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. Since 2021, the site has been jointly agreed upon by the two countries and holds strategic significance, with reserves of roughly 30 billion cubic meters of gas and 300 million barrels of oil. A memorandum of understanding signed in 2021 officially gave the field its new name — 'Dostlug' (meaning 'Friendship'). Elman Fattah describes this as an example of symbolic diplomacy: 'Agreements around this field are not built on transparent and democratic institutions, but rather on mutual trust between authoritarian family regimes.' At the same time, through the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline project, the field is also important in terms of access to the European energy market and creating an alternative to Russian influence. However, Fattah sees these initiatives primarily as part of what he calls 'club diplomacy.' 'Club diplomacy' of authoritarian regimes Political commentator Elman Fattah believes that in recent years, a system of inter-regime relations has emerged across the post-Soviet space that cannot be explained solely by economic or security concerns. Instead, it resembles a 'club' built on ideological and symbolic solidarity: 'Dynastic rule, leader cults, total media control, elimination of the opposition, and the effective destruction of the electoral system — these are the entry tickets to this club.' Fattah sees Berdymukhamedov's visit in this context not merely as the development of diplomatic ties, but as an act of ideological recognition and consolidation between regimes. According to him, Aliyev's reception of Berdymukhamedov as Turkmenistan's true leader and their joint visit to the Alley of Honor are symbolic rituals of what he calls an 'authoritarian brotherhood.' 'It's a survival strategy in politics' According to Elman Fattah, the main goals of this 'club diplomacy' are: Protection from external isolation: regimes provide each other with political support. Ideological reinforcement: each regime shows its domestic audience that it is not alone. Export and normalization of the model: dynastic rule is presented as a successful form of governance. 'Oil fields, flags, and protocol are just the visible part. Behind the scenes lies mutual recognition and the consolidation of family-based authoritarianism,' he concludes. News in Azerbaijan
Forbes
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
After 54 Years, Fires In The ‘Gates To Hell' May Finally Burn Out
The burning gas crater in Turkmenistan dubbed "Gateway to Hell.' During an international conference on hydrocarbon resources in Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat earlier this month, Irina Luryeva, head of the scientific research institute in the state-owned energy company Turkmengaz, announced that the fires feed by natural methane seepage in the 'Gateway to Hell' are slowly burning out. "Whereas before a huge glow from the blaze was visible from several kilometers away, hence the name 'Gateway to Hell', today only a faint source of combustion remains," says Luryeva in a quote published by In January 2022, former president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow appeared on state television announcing plans to 'close' the "Gates of Hell," a giant natural gas crater in the middle of the Karakum Desert, about 260 kilometers (160 miles) north of Ashgabat, citing pollution, health concerns and a loss of 'valuable natural resources.' The crater was (supposedly, as there are no official documents available) created in 1971 during a Soviet drilling accident that hit a gas cavern, causing the rig to fall in and the ground to collapse around it. The Soviets decided to burn off the gas by setting it on fire to prevent the dangerous fumes from spreading. Unfortunately, tapping into a vast natural reservoir of flammable methane gas, the pit has been burning since then, even growing in size over time. The now 70 meters (229 feet) wide and 20 meters (65 feet) deep crater was a popular tourist attraction, especially at night time. Officially named the "Shining of Karakum," the crater is also known as the Darvaza Crater, after the nearby village of Darvaza, and online as the 'Door to Hell', 'Gateway to Hell' or 'Gates of Hell' thanks to the boiling mud and roaring, red burning flames covering the crater floor. According to Luryeva, numerous wells have been drilled around the crater to release the methane in a controlled way and cut off the the flame's fuel supply. Turkmenistan possesses the world's fourth largest reserves of natural gas in its underground, exporting gas to countries such as Pakistan, China, India, Iran and Russia.
Metro
22-04-2025
- Metro
It just got easier to visit this secretive country home to the 'Door to Hell'
Imagine living in a country where Whatsapp is banned, the internet and Wi-Fi are virtually non-existent, and you can drive any car you want — as long as it's white. That's exactly how life is for the citizens of Turkmenistan, one of the most secretive countries in the world. The Central Asian country is also one of the least visited, with just 15,000 tourists travelling there each year — but that could all be about to change. For years, Turkmenistan has been notoriously difficult to visit. Travellers from the UK needed a visa, as well as a letter of invitation to support the application (or a letter from relevant companies or ministries if you were going there on business). Even then, the decision on whether a visa would be granted could take up to a month, and were often rejected with little explanation. But now, a new law has been introduced that will make it easier for foreigners to enter the country. Tourists can fill in a simplified online visa form, and the letter of invitation has been scrapped. The new electronic visa could be a game-changer for Turkmenistan's tourism industry, one of the most sparsely populated nations on the continent. Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. Turkmenistan is bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Iran. Once part of the Soviet Union, becoming independent after its dissolution in 1991, the country has a population of 6.5 million, making it the 35th most populated nation in Asia. The city of Merv, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, is considered one of the great cities of the Islamic world – and once was an important stop on the Silk Road, a caravan route which was used for trade with China until the mid-15th Century. But it's history stretches much further than that. In 1972, archaeologists discovered the fortress town of Gonur Depe, which date back to the Bronze Age. It was thought that it was abandoned after the nearby Margab River naturally changed course. The settlement continues to be excavated to do this day, as experts work to uncover its secrets. The capital city, Ashgabat, also holds the oddly-specific Guinness World Record for the place with the 'highest density of white marble-clad buildings'. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Chairman Of The People's Council of Turkmenistan, and president of Turkmenistan until 2022, lives in a white palace and travels around town in a white limousine. It's no surprise then that the capital is known as the 'City of White Marble'. It's mosque, Kipchak mosque, one of the largest in Central Asia, is also white. Perhaps the most famous site in Turkmenistan thought is the Darvaza gas crater, often dubbed 'The Door to Hell', which has been burning continuously since 1968. No one knows how the pit was first formed before it was set aflame by Soviet engineers. Perhaps there was simply no one around — or maybe its classified. Some believe engineers were drilling for oil when a rig gave way and punched into a massive underground natural gas cavern, forming the huge crater, 70 metres wide and 30 metres deep. One person who has experienced Turkmenistan for himself is a content creator named Chris, who is on a mission to visit every country in the world for his YouTube channel Authentic Traveling. Speaking about his visit to the crater, he said: 'It is amazing, it is so hot. 'You can feel these waves of massive heat coming. Sometimes the wind blows it away, it gets your face so incredibly hot. It's absolutely amazing to come here to see this really, really cool wonder.' If you decide to head to Turkmenistan, you might want to take note of some rather unusual rules in place in the country. If you head to Ashgabat, it won't take long to notice that all the cars on the streets are either white or silver – and it's completely deliberate. The car rule has come to the country of Berdimuhamedow, who reportedly made the rule after ordering the impounding of all black cars in the capital in 2018. Police were said to have subsequently seized black cars and told the owners they had to pay to have them repainted white or silver. The ban was later extended to vehicles of all other colours. No official reason was given for the directive, although it's known that Mr Berdimuhamedow is a fan of the colour white (hence the aforementioned white palace and limo), believing it to be lucky. Not only do cars have to conform to the colour rules, but they also have to be sparkling clean. In fact, visitors report that driving with a dirty car can land you in trouble with the police, who strictly enforce the rules. But the bizarre rules in Turkmenistan don't end there. For example, don't expect to be able to freely use the internet if you visit as you can in other parts of the world. Access to the Internet is heavily regulated there and only a small fraction of the population can access it, with most websites banned other than local ones accessible via the Turkmenet, a censored version of the web available only in Turkmen. And you won't be able to drop your friends back a home a message telling them about the visually breathtaking sights of the capital. More Trending Most social media apps, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are blocked in Turkmenistan, along with WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube. While many get round the ban by using VPNs, these are frequently shut down by the authorities. Youtuber Chris said: 'Almost every single website is banned including major airline sites to book tickets out of the country! Imagine the anxiety I felt if I missed my flight.' He did add though that despite the banning of certain social media it was still used, with places advertising Instagram accounts. 'Officially Instagram is banned in the country but then at times they seem to look the other way…it never really made sense to me,' he said. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: The cheapest all-inclusive holiday destinations for summer 2025 MORE: The sunniest city in Europe is an 'underappreciated jewel' — and you can fly there from £66 MORE: Safaris were not my thing — then I tried the South African alternative
