Is Turkmenistan Another North Korea?

Turkmenistan is one of the world's least-visited countries. It gets fewer tourists than North Korea. Only around 5,000 people visit it every year. The government strictly controls who can enter. All visitors are under constant surveillance. The capital is a city of gold and white marble. Ashgabat is filled with lavish palaces. It holds the Guinness World Record for most marble buildings. It also has the tallest flagpole and the largest fountain complex. But all of this is just for show. The buildings are empty. Citizens are not allowed to walk in the center of the capital. 

Turkmenistan is 70% desert. If you travel across Turkmenistan, the majority of the country is covered with sand. Its vast Karakum Desert is known to be one of the most fertile deserts in the world. The interesting and remarkable thing is, the entire area of the desert used to be home to a giant sea 30 million years ago.

Most internet browsers and apps that we know in the western world or other places are blocked in the country; for example Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Turkmenistan may not be as famous as its neighbors, Uzbekistan, but they are unique and very authentic in their very own way. The sites tell a story about the religion and the role that the region played as a major trading hub along the silk road between the 8th to 13th centuries. 

The first president renamed everything after himself. Turkmenistan's first president called himself ‘Turkmenbasy’. This title means "The Father of All Turkmens." He had a golden statue of himself erected in Ashgabat. The statue rotated always to face the sun. Turkmenbasy renamed cities, months, and days of the week. They were renamed after him and his family members. 

Turkmenbasy wrote a book called Ruhnama (The book of souls). It was mandatory to be studied in schools and universities. Government workers were required to learn it by heart. Its verses were inscribed on Turkmenistan's largest mosque. The second president was just as crazy. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow succeeded Turkmenbasy after his death. He immediately replaced his statues with one of himself. Ruhnama was removed from all schools and libraries. Berdimuhamedow chose the official title of "Protector". 

He introduced numerous bizarre laws. One day, he abruptly banned the black cars. All car owners had to repaint their cars. Dirty cars are not allowed to enter Ashgabat. Berdimuhamedow is obsessed with horses. He put his personal horse on Turkmenistan's State Emblem. The first emblem features Turkmenbasy's horse. Berdimuhamedow had it replaced. All official paperwork and symbols around the country had to be changed. Berdimuhamedow enjoyed ridiculous feats. He lifted a golden bar in a cabinet meeting. He shot at targets in the desert while riding a bicycle. He took part in marathons, horse races, and rapping contests. He always came first. Jennifer Lopez sang "Happy Birthday" to Berdimuhamedow. In 2013, the president paid for J-Lo to entertain his guests. She later apologized for this trip. Lopez said she had been unaware of the country's human rights record. 

Turkmenistan's third president is Serdar Berdimuhamedow. He is the second president's son. Serdar has only been president since March 2022. But he also introduced a new bizarre rule. Women are no longer allowed to hold hands in public. Turkmenistan is a totalitarian dystopia. Human Rights Watch calls it "one of the most repressive countries."

It is true that Turkmenistan is wealthier than many other countries in Central Asia, the claim that its streets are paved with gold is an exaggeration. The country is also known for its strict and repressive government, which makes it even more isolated and secretive than North Korea.