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1 1 (August 21, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdbkz0001 and id is 1 raw text is: FF. mppm qq\ p\w -- , gn'a', go I aS 11LIANJILiN, Updated August 21, 2020 Turkmenistan Olverview Turkmenistan is a strategically situated country with significant energy resources, making it a potential partner for governments, including the United States, interested in advancing regional stability and economic development. Since becoming independent with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Turkmenistan's authoritarian government has kept the country largely isolated from the outside world and maintained tight control over the economy. While Turkmenistan's constitution establishes permanent neutrality as the core principle of the country's foreign policy, its history and geography underpin a difficult but important relationship with Russia, and increasing economic dependence is driving closer ties with China. In recent years, U.S. cooperation with Turkmenistan has focused primarily on border security issues, particularly with neighboring Afghanistan. Government. Turkmenistan's constitution defines the country as a secular, democratic presidential republic with a tripartite separation of powers between the executive, the judiciary, and the legislature. In practice, executive power is largely unchecked and President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov dominates the country's political structures. The president has extensive powers that include presiding over the Cabinet of Ministers, as well as appointing and dismissing regional governors and mayors. Although the constitution stipulates the independence of the judiciary, the president also appoints and dismisses judges. The legislature comprises a 125-seat unicameral parliament (the Mejlis), elected to five-year terms. Following 2012 legislation allowing for a multi-party system, Turkmenistan now has three officially recognized political parties: the Democratic Party (established in 1991 as the successor to the Soviet-era Communist Party), the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (registered in 2012), and the Agrarian Party (registered in 2014). The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe describes Turkmenistan's political environment as only nominally pluralist, as all three parties are aligned with the president and electoral procedures fail to meet international standards. Authoritarian Rule. Saparmurad Niyazov, former first secretary of Turkmenistan's Communist Party, became the country's first elected president after an uncontested 1992 race. A 1994 referendum extended his term to 2002. In 1999, amendments to the constitution proclaimed him president for life. Niyazov, known as Turkmenbashi, or Leader of the Turkmen, was an autocratic ruler who created a cult of personality around himself and his family, isolated the country, and suppressed dissent. Following Niyazov's unexpected death in December 2006, former Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was elected in a 2007 election widely seen as fraudulent. He was reelected in 2012 and again in 2017 (in 2016, the presidential term was extended from five to seven years). There is no constitutional limit on the number of terms a president can hold office, and with the introduction of constitutional amendments in 2016, there is no longer an upper age limit for presidential candidates. Although he initially introduced modest reforms, Berdimuhamedov has largely followed in his predecessor's authoritarian footsteps. He has moved to dismantle Niyazov's cult of personality, replacing it with veneration of himself. He uses the title Arkadag (the Protector). Many analysts assess that Berdimuhamedov is positioning his son Serdar as his successor. Figure I. Map of Turkmenistan N '~ ........... ........... ............ ............... ........... T U R K N, E N` S TA N .................. ................... ................. ................. .............. .............. Source: Graphic created by CRS. Human Rights. Turkmenistan faces regular criticism for human rights abuses from the U.S. State Department and from international organizations. Freedom House, a nonpartisan nongovernmental organization (NGO), describes the country as a repressive authoritarian state where political rights and civil liberties are almost completely denied in practice. Citizens are subject to widespread surveillance, arbitrary arrest and detention, and torture. The government also imposes severe restrictions on freedom of movement. Because of its violations of religious freedom, Turkmenistan has been designated as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act since 2014. The Secretary of State re-designated Turkmenistan as a CPC in 2019, although the Trump Administration waived the related sanctions in light of U.S. national interests. By most accounts, Turkmenistan engages in widespread use of state-orchestrated forced labor, particularly in the harvesting of cotton. Tens of thousands of public sector employees are reportedly forced to pick cotton annually. Similarly, private businesses are allegedly forced to contribute labor. There are also reports of child labor in the -..,'~-' *.~

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