Fighting misinformation about Turkmenistan

After Central Asia expert Derya Soysal (author of this article) published a video celebrating Turkmenistan’s neutrality and its Year of Peace, the post gained significant attention on social media.

Under Derya Soysal’s video about Turkmenistan’s declared Year of Peace, a journalist commented on the platform X with the following lines:

“I wish they would listen and read. Unfortunately, our people like to express their opinions without listening or reading. The best thing to do for Turkmenistan to protect itself from this disgusting world’s game is to do this (share videos).

In reality, Derya Soysal aims to highlight how Turkmenistan played a pivotal role in resolving regional conflicts.

As Toshmuhammadov, M. (2004) demonstrates, during the resolution of the Tajik Civil War, Turkmenistan’s involvement was crucial. On August 7, 1993, a representative of the President of Turkmenistan participated in key negotiations. Turkmenistan played an indispensable role in resolving this civil war.

Additionally, efforts for peaceful reconciliation were supported not only by Turkmenistan but also by the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe (now the OSCE) and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).

Turkmenistan played a significant role in facilitating the resolution of the Tajik Civil War (1992–1997) by maintaining neutrality and acting as a mediator in the peace process. Here are the key points regarding Turkmenistan’s involvement:

Turkmenistan adopted a policy of strict neutrality, which helped position it as a trustworthy mediator. It refrained from supporting any side in the conflict, which bolstered its image as a stabilizing actor in the region.

Additionally, Turkmenistan hosted several rounds of peace talks between the Tajik government and the United Tajik Opposition (UTO). Ashgabat provided a neutral ground for dialogue, contributing to the progress of negotiations that eventually led to the signing of the General Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and National Accord in Tajikistan in 1997.

We must not forget that during the civil war, Turkmenistan provided economic and humanitarian assistance to Tajikistan, helping to mitigate the impact of the conflict on civilians. It kept trade routes open and supplied energy resources to its neighbor, fostering regional stability.

In conclusion, Turkmenistan’s approach to the Tajik Civil War exemplifies its broader foreign policy of neutrality and conflict resolution, which remains a cornerstone of its international relations strategy today. It is therefore useful to state that Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality is focused on resolving conflicts, ending wars and promoting peace in the world.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Toshmuhammadov, M. (2004). Civil war in Tajikistan and post-conflict rehabilitation. Sapporo: Center of Slavic Researches.

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