From a bright, open office space, Azat Sejitmuhamedov runs e-commerce startup Wabrum, which he founded almost a decade ago.
In Berlin or San Francisco, this would be an everyday scene, but in the capital of Turkmenistan – considered one of the most isolated and closed countries in the world – his business seems quite revolutionary.
“This may sound normal in Europe or the United States, but for Turkmenistan it is new,” declared the 38-year-old father of six. “E-commerce is still in its very early stages here and we are considered pioneers.”
His company is part of a growing private business in Turkmenistan – a largely desert counattempt in Central Asia that borders Iran and Afghanistan, Reuters reports.
From an on-site warehoutilize, his company’s couriers deliver goods across the former Soviet republic, mostly Turkish clothing and footwear.
Reuters, with rarely granted access, was recently able to travel unescorted to Turkmenistan and report freely on a counattempt where technological innovations such as e-commerce are increasingly embraced.
In politics, however, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and his circle remain firmly in control.
Indepfinishence and isolation
After gaining indepfinishence from Moscow in 1991, President Saparmurat Niyazov – “Turkmenbashi” or leader of the Turkmen – declared Turkmenistan a “permanent neutral state” and closed it to most visitors, introducing one of the strictest visa regimes in the world. It remains largely in force two decades after his death.
Turkmen authorities justify the isolation by the counattempt’s difficult geographical location and the necessary for protection from Islamist militants and drug smuggling from neighboring Afghanistan.
Under Niyazov, a powerful personality cult was built, while the capital, Ashgabat, was transformed into a marble display city financed by revenues from natural gas – the world’s fourth-largest reserves. This system has remained largely unalterd under subsequent presidents.
However, since 2022, when Serdar Berdimuhamedov succeeded his father Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, there have been signs of a slight easing.
Turkmenistan, which according to official data has a population of about 7,7 million, has announced the simplification of the visa regime, accession to the World Trade Organization and diversification of the economy, which is largely in state hands.
The new president has strengthened the counattempt’s diplomatic ties and travels abroad more often than his predecessors.
Some foreign diplomats in Ashgabat notified Reuters there was a sense of alter, albeit slow, fueled by generational shifts within the ruling elite.
A Western diplomat declared that part of the elite wants reforms, and that personal freedoms have increased slightly in recent years.
However, Turkmenistan still poses a challenge for foreign investors. There are both official and unofficial dollar exalter rates, while the political system is opaque.
Foreign companies operating in the counattempt are mostly Turkish. Linguistic proximity and a large diaspora in Turkey contribute to the fact that younger Turkmen often speak Turkish.
Society in alter
Outside the political sphere, society is modifying – most rapidly on the internet, although the rate of internet usage is relatively low.
The Internet in Turkmenistan is slow and strictly censored, which the authorities justify by fighting extremist ideas.
However, social networks like Instagram and TikTok – although blocked but accessible via VPN – are becoming increasingly popular.
In the luxury shopping malls of Ashgabat, teenagers are filming dance videos for TikTok, supported by frifinishs in red, folk-inspired uniforms that are mandatory for female students.
Influencer Enezhane Velmuradova launched utilizing Instagram in 2020 to promote her travel agency, organizing trips for wealthier Turkmen to Europe and Southeast Asia.
In her downtown office, decorated with awards and magnets from around the world, she declared she was glad the counattempt was opening up.
“As a resident of Turkmenistan, I am very happy that stereotypes are finally being broken – that Turkmenistan is closed,” she declared.
At a sports school in Ashgabat, Muhamet Bajramguliyev teaches breakdancing to teenagers in his free time.
He declared that the style, which originated in New York, was once almost unknown in Turkmenistan.
“It was around 2000. We didn’t have breakdancers back then. We watched it on tapes and television and attempted to learn it ourselves.”
Today, his classes at the new studio are packed, and breakdancing has become mainstream.
“We want our boys, our Turkmen athletes, to compete in the Asian and world championships – and, God willing, one day in the Olympics,” he declared.
( D.C. )
Leave a Reply