Central Asia’s North Korea

Central Asia’s North Korea

[Music]
in 2018 a little known Republic nestled
deep in the heart of Central Asia
devised what appeared to be a brilliant
strategy to Halt the widespread Exodus
of skilled and educated workers a
challenge that afflicts many developing
nations worldwide its solution was
straightforward it simply stopped
allowing anyone to leave effectively
transforming the entire country into a
virtual prison twice the size of the
United Kingdom in indeed Turkmenistan
touts itself as a nation of pragmatic
solutions that same year then president
birie mammadov attributing bad luck to
the presence of black cars banned their
importation soon citizens across the
country began waking up to find that
their cars had vanished overnight having
been towed Away by the authorities to
get them back owners were forced to pay
for a repaint often at unaffordable
prices before long this unusual mandate
was extended to include all colored cars
hence should you ever find yourself
scanning satellite images of turkistan
you’ll be met with a monochromatic sea
of white Vehicles which just so happens
to be the former president’s favorite
color but birdie Muhammad’s
eccentricities pale in comparison to his
predecessor niazov self-titled as his
Excellency the great leader of the
turkman and God’s profit on Earth in a
grandio display of concern for his
nation’s Health niazov carved a colossal
37 km staircase into the copet dag
mountain range he mandated that
politicians climate yearly in a
so-called Health walk while he watched
from above in a helicopter before
chastising them at the finish line for
their slow pace the array of bewildering
decrees issued by turkmenistan’s leaders
appears Limitless days of the week
months of the year breeds of horses and
even craters on the moon have been
personally renamed to the preferences of
whichever leader is in charge of the
time at one point niazov literally
renamed bread after his mother another
bizarre incident saw him advise citizens
to chew on Bones to enhance Dental
Health citing the absence of dogs in
dental offices as his justification dogs
however have become scarce in the
capital on account of them being banned
for their quote unappealing odor this
prohibition is just one of many in a
Relentless series of efforts over the
last three decades aimed at transforming
the capital city into an Immaculate
pristine and Grand Vision of a
dictator’s personal Paradise vast
neighborhoods have been reduced to rubel
to make way for a breathtaking number of
skyscrapers monuments Parks stadiums and
palaces each crafted from impeccable
Italian marble and then lined with gold
so much marble has been used to build
the city that earned it a Guinness World
Record along with the largest indoor
pool the largest indoor Ferris wheel the
largest architectural star and the most
Fountain pools in a public space an
irony given the country’s severe water
scarcity but beyond the Grandeur of its
gleaming Marble City and the often
comical antics of its leaders little
about Turkmenistan is amusing for those
forced to live within its borders in
August 2023 a distressing scene unfolded
in the extensive cotton fields of
turkmenistan’s laab Province beneath the
sweltering heat exceeding
104° F tens of thousands toiled
tirelessly by hand to gather the annual
cotton Harvest while the sight of
diligent laborers in Cotton Fields is
not by itself unusual the composition of
this Workforce was anything but ordinary
instead of seasonal agricultural workers
this vast sea of Labor comprised
teachers doctors lawyers flight
attendants state workers and even school
children none of whom were there by
choice or paid under a presidential
decree both state agencies and private
companies forced half of their staff to
pick cotton during the week with full
part participation required on weekends
facing the risk of public humiliation
and job loss a daunting Prospect in a
country with a staggering 70%
unemployment rate workers reluctantly
complied as they struggled to meet their
daily cotton quota of 55 lounds ever
since gaining independence from the
Soviet Union turkmenistan’s leaders have
painstakingly reinstated stalinist rule
today the country stands as one of the
last true totalitarian dictatorships
secret police resort to torture and use
psychotropic drugs against political
opponents those perceived as enemies of
the state are publicly paraded on live
television coerced into confessions and
forced to beg for mercy to spare their
families from similar Fates afterwards
they vanish Without a Trace mere
criticism of the government in any form
is deemed treasonous often resulting in
lengthy prison sentences confinement to
psychiatric facilities or exile to the
desolate Salt Flats by the Caspian Sea
the level of repression is so extreme
that last year Turkmenistan was ranked
as the second worst country in the world
for Freedom a position even lower than
Taliban controlled Afghanistan war torn
arria and the infamous North Korea but
with the transition of power from birdie
mamadov to his son in 2022 marking
Central Asia’s first hereditary
secession since the era of the cons hope
for improvement in the near future has
all but been extinguished it’s hardly
surprising then that many are desperate
to leave in search of a better life
elsewhere assuming the government does
not successfully stop them first but how
did Turkmenistan become such a dystopian
Nightmare how do its leaders maintain
such an absolute grip on Power and where
does the seemingly endless supply of
money that sustains the regime come from
this is a story of turkistan the
strangest dictatorship in the world
[Music]
today’s video is sponsored by War
Thunder the unrivaled king of vehicle
combat gaming with an expanded Arsenal
boasting over 25 200 planes tanks ships
and helicopters representing 10 major
Nations every model is a masterpiece of
detail from its engine to the last rivet
and if you’re anything like me you’ll
find yourself completely absorbed by the
authentic sounds hyperrealistic graphics
and a comprehensive technological
Journey from the 1920s all the way to
Modern Warfare for enthus iast of
military history there’s simply no
better game out there so dive into the
action with me and 70 million others
today on PC PlayStation 4 and 5 or Xbox
One and Xbox series X and S absolutely
free by clicking my exclusive Link in
the description below whether you’re
signing up for the first time or
returning after a Hiatus of at least 6
months you’ll unlock a massive welcome
package including premium Vehicles a
one-of-a-kind 3D vehicle decorator
100,000 silver lions and an upgraded
account but don’t delay this is a
limited time
offer on September 9th 1879 Russian
military forces began a severe
bombardment of giak teepe a city
encircled by a formidable wall made out
of mud 18 ft thick and 10 ft tall
Sheltering 40,000 turkmen despite their
technological advantages the Russian
troops Limited in number in supplies
suffered heavy losses in their frontal
assault on the city forcing a strategic
Retreat to their base on the Caspian Sea
driven by objectives to secure its
Southern frontier Advance its economic
interests and enhance its Global stature
Russia have been gradually expanding its
dominion over Central Asia but the
humiliating defeat at giok Tepe marked
Russia’s first major setback in its
Imperial goals in 164 years located at
the southern Fringe of Cal Asia giok
teepe was located in what is today
modern Turkmenistan the area was
primarily inhabited by nomadic tribes
who roamed the extensive caracum Desert
subsisting on livestock hurting and
raiding passing trade Caravans despite
the harshness of their existence these
tribes earned a reputation for their
Fierce resistance to external powers and
their involvement in the slave trade a
brutal reality that some of the
encroaching Russians experienced
firsthand recognizing gak Tee’s
strategic importance for Conquering the
rest of the region Russia began a more
calculated second Attack 2 years after
their initial defeat on January 12th
1881 they detonated a tunnel packed with
thousands of kilog of explosives beneath
the city’s wall this created a 140t wide
breach in the city’s defenses enabling
Russian forces to flood in following a
ruthless Massacre of the city’s
residents the rest of Central Asia soon
fell to the thear over the next four
decades Russia made little effort to
assimilate the region or its inhabitants
into the Empire although railroads
expanded and new cities like ashkabad
emerged spurred by an influx of Russian
migrants the Region’s predominantly
desert terrain making up 90% of its
geography hindered any real development
by the eve of World War I the industrial
sector remained modest comprising only a
few cotton gens leather processing
facilities and a single steam engine
manufacturing plant by 1916 amid the
escalating challenges of a war turning
against him Zar Nicholas II made the
controversial decision to conscript
turkistani Muslims who had until then
been exempt from military service this
decision combined with a corrupt and
oppressive local government ignited
widespread revolts across Central Asia
further fueled by the Russian Revolution
the following year for 8 years the
region was engulfed in severe turmoil
featuring a mix of warfare Revolution
famine and devastating reforms
eventually the Soviet Union emerged From
the Ashes of the Russian Empire
forcefully bringing Central Asia along
in its socialist transformation by 1924
the last major remnants of resistance
had been crushed and Central Asia was
reorganized into distinct ethnonational
political entities among these the
turkman Soviet Socialist Republic was
formally established in line with the
sweeping changes occurring across R the
union the state confiscated all land and
forcibly integrated the nomadic
population into state run and Collective
Farms concurrently the government
introduced a standardized turkman
written language and established
numerous publishing houses and schools
these initiatives were designed to boost
literacy rates reduce intertribal
conflicts and align the population with
Soviet ideals these measures together
with the violent suppression of
political descent transformed
Turkmenistan into a docile isolated and
largely overlooked Republic within the
Soviet sphere despite this several key
developments heavily influenced its
evolving character the first of these
occurred during the second world war as
German armies captured significant parts
of the Soviet Union’s industrial
Heartland many industries were relocated
to safer locations including Central
Asia Turkmenistan received two oil
processing plants from azerbijan a metal
processing plant from Southern Russia
and approximately two dozen textile
plants however due to limited
infrastructure and an underdeveloped
energy sector these developments were
relatively modest compared to the other
republics following the war turkistan
remained under industrialized due to a
policy of regionalization this policy
allocated distinct economic roles to
each Republic based on their unique
resources geographical advantages and
Workforce capabilities all aimed at
enhancing the Soviet Union’s Collective
economic performance more importantly
though it deliberately made each
Republic economically dependent on the
rest of the Union thereby reinforcing
centralized control while turkmenistan’s
harsh natural conditions were generally
unfavorable for many types of economic
activities they were uniquely suited for
the cultivation of cotton a commodity in
which the Soviets were determined to
achieve
self-sufficiency however the country’s
lack of significant water seemed to make
the dream of transforming Turkmenistan
into a cotton power house unobtainable
that changed when Soviet planners
designed what would become one of the
largest canals in history construction
of the caracum canal began in 1954 and
by 1967 it was channeling 3.2 cubic
miles of water annually from the
amudarya river almost to the Caspian Sea
tripling the Republic’s arable land in
its cotton production cotton harvests
eventually became so immense it led to
the use of forced in child labor to
compensate for the Republic’s limited
Workforce by 1988 children were missing
up to 68 school days a year to work in
the cotton fields due to the policy of
regionalization 97% of the cotton was
then shipped directly to Russia for
processing which left Turkmenistan
excluded from the industry’s value added
benefits and employment opportunities a
similar pattern emerged with the
surprising discovery and exploitation of
turkmenistan’s most vital resource n
natural gas the first deposits were
initially found in the 1930s but it was
not until the 1960s that the Republic’s
truly enormous reserves were confirmed
with an estimated 50 trillion cubic met
of natural gas Turkmenistan found itself
holding the fourth largest reserves in
the world and the second highest on a
per capita basis by the mid 1980s
production had soared to 72 billion
cubic M annually second only to Russia
itself just as with cotton all of
turkmenistan’s natural gas was
transported to Russia for processing
three a single pipeline consistent with
the Soviet strategy of subsidizing its
economy with artificially low priced
energy turkistan received only six copcs
per thousand cubic meters of gas a rate
that was 300 times less than global
market prices in effect Turkmenistan was
essentially being stripped of its
natural wealth for the benefit of the
other republics as a result by the late
19 80s turkmenistan’s per capita income
stood at only 70% of the Soviet average
with most of the population living below
the official poverty line although
social indicators had improved from the
pre-soviet ERA with notable successes
such as achieving full literacy the
Republic still suffered from low life
expectancy and the highest infant
mortality rate in the union further
complicating the picture though was the
leadership’s tendency to inflate these
figures to enhance their stat status
within the Communist party this
malpractice led to the removal of
turkmenistan’s first secretary in favor
of sapura niazov amid a 1985
anti-corruption Crackdown born in 1940
in a small Village near ashcat niazov
was orphaned after the second world war
claimed his father and a devastating
earthquake took his mother and two
brothers 6 years later raised by a
distant relative niazov excelled
academically pursued electrical
engineering and joined the Communist
Party in
1962 he quickly Rose through its ranks
supported by his affiliation with the te
the Republic’s dominant tribe upon
becoming first Secretary of Turkmenistan
niazov transformed the turkman Communist
Party into one of the most rigid and
conservative factions within the Soviet
Union confronted with widespread
shortages economic stagnation and social
reforms that spurred turmoil in other
republics niazov gained notoriety for
his ruthless oppression of any unrest
despite these conditions resistance
within Turkmenistan was surprisingly
minimal due in part to the predominantly
Rural and agricultural nature of its
populace shaped by Decades of Soviet
influence a dee rooted conservatism
fostered a culture of acquiescence to
Authority additionally turkmenistan’s
lack of history as an independent nation
state prior to its incorporation into
the Russian Empire meant there were few
nationalistic impulses to fued descent
combined with fears of economic collapse
these factors United the population and
leadership in their support for
maintaining the union and their place
within it therefore by the early 1990s
Turkmenistan remained largely insulated
from the sweeping political and economic
reforms affecting the other republics
however as the Soviet Union began to
unravel in 1991 Turkmenistan was
reluctantly pushed toward Independence
officially declaring its sovereignty on
October 27th
1991 on the day Turkmenistan marked its
independence the nation also witnessed
its inaugural presidential election
where niazov clinched 98.3% of the vote
an unsurprising outcome given he was the
only candidate 2 months later the
Communist Party of Turkmenistan formally
disbanded but this move was merely
symbolic the party simply renamed itself
the Democratic party of Turkmenistan
undergoing minimal actual change as
president of the newly independent
nation niazov maintained Soviet era
control mechanisms While most former
Soviet republics were embracing major
reforms under his leadership the economy
was kept under total government
oversight with Comprehensive controls
over prices wages exchange rates and
international trade by May of 1992 under
niaz’s directive Turkmenistan adopted a
new constitution ostensibly it it
established a presidential Republic with
checks and balances and guaranteed
freedoms of religion expression and
property in reality however it cemented
NASA’s complete authority over all
aspects of turkman society leveraging
his Monopoly over broadcast media and
the Press they were transformed into the
official mouthpiece of the turkman bosi
a term translating to the great leader
of the turkman which niazov had adopted
as his new title as cities geographical
landmarks and infrastructure were
renamed in honor of the turkman Bashi a
widespread Cult of Personality began to
take shape when confronted with
comparisons to Stalin niazov remarked
but Stalin achieved his personality cult
through repressive measures whereas I
achieved my popularity without conflicts
alternative parties were banned as soon
as they met membership criteria
political opponents were eliminated by
the secret police and external
information sources were banned or
heavily censored systematically
isolating the population from the
outside world neov Justified these
actions by arguing that economic
stability must precede political
diversity to prevent descending into
Anarchy he claimed that with a decade of
his leadership Turkmenistan would avoid
such a fate and enter an economic Golden
Age his plan for doing so was
straightforward with complete control
over the world’s fourth largest natural
gas reserves in the ability to sell it
at prices 300 times higher than during
the Soviet era niazov could appease
turkmenistan’s modest population of 4
million by offering free gas electricity
water and heavily subsidized food at the
same time he could enrich himself in the
political Elite while maintaining an
extensive security and propaganda
apparatus to ensure his continued rule
but despite NASA’s optimistic plans
turkmenistan’s economy was entering a
death spiral
over six Relentless years the nation’s
economic output dwindled to less than
half of its 1991 level the fundamental
issue facing Turkmenistan was the
mismatch between its political
Independence and its economic autonomy
stemming from the Soviet policy of
regionalization the country lacked the
capacity to refine its raw resources and
the infrastructure to sell its goods
outside of Russia this economic
isolation is highlighted by the lack of
even a Railway link to neighboring Iran
despite its lands being just 15 mi from
ashat consequently turkman gas and
cotton could only be transported sold
and processed through Russia amid these
constraints Russia exploited
turkmenistan’s dependency by purchasing
these Commodities at significantly lower
prices than those on the international
market paying with hard currency for
only 50% of this already reduced value
the remainder was frequently paid in
Goods such as grain and sometimes not at
all to further enhance its profit
margins gazprom Russia’s state-owned
energy Giant and the exclusive buyer of
turkman gas strategically limited its
purchases to 11 billion cubic m per year
merely an eighth of turkmenistan’s
pre-independence production levels in
1997 the situation became dire as former
Soviet republics grappling with
financial constraints halted their gas
payments entirely confr Ed with
outstanding payments amounting to a
staggering 80% of its GDP turkistan
ceased gas exports entirely meanwhile
cotton production suffered a
catastrophic 50% decline the lack of
hard currency severely restricted the
import of essential supplies like
fertilizers tractors and cotton picking
machines crippling the agricultural
sector this crisis was exacerbated by
NASA’s policy of making water free for
Citizens and farmers which removed
incentives for its efficient use leading
to severe water shortages and a 43% drop
in output per acre over 7 years with
both of its key Industries and ruins the
population’s living standards began to
deteriorate threatening the stability of
the regime but the solution to these
challenges was surprisingly simple the
country needed access to global markets
by building alternative natural gas
pipelines and railroads to bypass
Russia’s monopsony a monopoly on the
demand side of a market developing such
infrastructure would bring in a surge of
hard currency which could then be
strategically used to address input
shortages and establish value added
Industries for its raw resources in 1996
the first rail connection with Iran was
established providing access to the
Persian Gulf the following year a 125 M
pipeline was built to connect
turkmenistan’s gas fields to Iran’s
remote Northeast despite its modest
annual capacity of 4 billion cubic M
actual exports seldom reached even a
third of this capacity also hindered by
Iran’s ability to make payments building
on these initial developments a more
ambitious proposal surfaced a pipeline
intended to transport 33 billion cubic
of gas over 1,000 Mi to Pakistan and
India but the routs need to Traverse
Taliban controlled Afghanistan
ultimately made the project un feasible
a more promising proposal was the trans
Caspian pipeline intended to transport
gas beneath the Caspian Sea through
azerbijan and Georgia to Turkey and
onward to Western Europe yet Maritime
disputes with azerbijan stalled
negotiations over Transit fees and
financing issues indefinitely postponed
the project despite these setbacks the
discussions led to significant
diplomatic outcomes including a meeting
between niazov and US President Bill
Clinton
these talks focused on energy deals and
strategies for accessing Global markets
without depending on routes through Iran
or Russia although these plans faltered
as well they were enough to compel
Russia to sign a far more favorable gas
agreement with turkistan driven by
concerns over losing its influence over
the country and the broader region as
the volume and value of gas exports to
Russia skyrocketed turkmenistan’s
persistent trade deficit turned into a
surplus by the year 2000 this turnaround
was complemented by efforts to construct
modern textile factories repurpose
farmland for domestic food production
and renovate an old Soviet oil refinery
these initiatives collectively fueled an
enormous economic boom positioning
Turkmenistan is one of the fastest
growing economies on the planet as the
new century dawned niazov would leverage
these surging revenues and his
extraordinary political strength to
usher in his own personal
Utopia on December 28th 1999 a newly
elected Parliament composed solely of
candidates handpicked by niazov bestowed
upon him the title of president for Life
liberated from the need to even fake
Fair elections niazov began to fully act
upon his grandiose delusions assuming
the role of spiritual and cultural
Arbiter of the turkman nation niav baned
ballets operas beards and Cinemas for
being insufficiently turkman and closed
all schools offering education in
foreign languages additionally he
demanded that all state employees proved
turkman racial Purity traceable back
three generations prompting a mass
Exodus of the highly skilled Russian
population following a personal health
scare involving heart issues NZ off
banned public smoking and constructed
the infamous 37 km walk of Health
mandating that turkman citizens and
politicians complet it annually in 2001
he introduced his 400 page Rama a pseudo
National Bible that emphasized turkman
nationalism within its Pages niazov was
depicted as a Godlike figure who saved
the nation from Soviet imperialism and
was destined to usher in an era of
prosperity initially dominating the
shelves of bookstores and the desks of
State offices the Rama soon became
required in mosques and churches placed
alongside every Cor and Bible its
teachings were then integrated into the
National Education System becoming not
just required reading but the central
component of the curriculum prisoners
were forced to swear an oath on it for
release doctors had to pledge their
allegiance to it and drivers teachers
and civil servants were forced to pass
examinations on its content those caught
criticizing the book even privately
faced up to 5 years in prison as niaz’s
assertions about the Rama grew
increasingly bizarre he declared that
reading the book three times would
guarantee entry into heaven then in a
symbolic gesture of its supposed
Universal significance a copy of the
Rama was even launched into orbit
intended to quote conquer space the book
thus became the Lynch pin of a now
perfected brainwashing apparatus across
radio television and the newspapers the
turkman Bashi his family background and
his various supposed achievements were
incessantly praised every broadcast
began with an ominous pledge that the
broadcaster’s tongue will shrivel if he
Slanders the country flag or president
The Cult of Personality surrounding
niazov reached such extremes that days
months and even bread were renamed in
honor of him his mother the Rama and
other symbols of turkman nationalism His
Image saturated public and private
spaces alike displayed in enormous
portraits and statues across the country
and on every bank note coin and postage
stamp even airplane cabins and passenger
trains were required to feature his
portrait ensuring a constant omnipresent
reminder of his rule but NZ off’s most
ambitious Endeavor was the
transformation of ashat into a testament
of his wealth and power ignoring the
potential for these vast gas revenues to
improve the general welfare he chose
instead to import Italian marble for the
construction of lavish monuments
gigantic mosques Luxury Apartments in
Gold doed palaces for himself
additionally billions were blown on
seemingly Whimsical projects like an
enormous desert lake that quickly
evaporated extravagant Fountain displays
zoos with arctic animals and a towering
200t tall Arch topped with a gold statue
of himself that rotates with the sun in
a striking example of excess the city’s
Main Avenue is lined with 22 five-star
hotels in a country that rarely allows
visitors to accommodate these Prestige
projects entire neighborhoods were
demolished often without offering
compensation or adequate alternative
housing to the displaced residents
hidden behind the unaffordable marble
Apartments growing slums were filled
with windowless single room homes some
crudely fashioned from Old Railway
containers that baked during the
scorching Summers many inhabitant of
these areas succumbed to Opium addiction
a situation worsened by the unchecked
influence of drugs from neighboring
Afghanistan in rural areas remnants of
Soviet era policies persisted with
forced in child labor still prevalent in
the cotton fields creating a stark
contrast between the opulent displays of
wealth and the harsh realities faced by
the general population but resistance to
nv’s regime from the general population
remained virtually non-existent despite
the widespread unemployment and low
wages that plagued the economy free gas
electricity and water along with heavily
subsidized prices for food and other
Essentials helped to quell discontent
this coupled with Relentless propaganda
and a pervasive climate of fear
effectively stifled any Grassroots
opposition but the situation escalated
dramatically on the morning of November
25th 2002 when NASA’s motorcade was
ambushed leading to a deadly shootout
this failed assassination and coup
attempt triggered a sweeping Purge of
political Elite and citizens alike
hundreds of individuals and their
families were subjected to show trials
received lengthy prison sentences and
subsequently vanished Without a Trace in
an atmosphere thick with paranoia
informers were recruited to EAS drop on
private conversations psychotropic drugs
were used to torture detainees and
roadblocks were established every few
miles as a permanent measure car radios
were banned to reduce background noise
during surveillance and all public
gatherings including weddings and
funerals now needed government approval
further restrictions limited citizens
ability to leave the country notably
prohibiting women under 35 from
traveling abroad unless they had two
children framed as a duty to perpetuate
the turkman ray with his death in 2006
niazov Left Behind one of the most
repressive totalitarian regimes on the
planet citizens had virtually no rights
the average monthly income was a mere
$60 in the few positive legacies of the
Soviet era Healthcare and education had
all but been dismantled across the
country all hospitals kindergartens and
libraries outside of the capital were
shut down thousands of healthcare
workers were replaced with untrained
military personnel the mandatory years
of schooling were reduced and hundreds
of thousands had their pensions
cancelled or dramatically cut as these
measures plunged the population deeper
into poverty reports indicated that a
sign significant portion of
turkmenistan’s annual gas revenues
estimated at nearly $2 billion were
being diverted into the personal
offshore accounts owned by the president
despite leaving behind a substantial and
potentially explosive power vacuum
having not named a successor to his
all-encompassing Cult of Personality
there was a sense of cautious optimism
upon NZ off’s death this wasn’t due to
confidence in whoever would come next
but rather from the Stark recognition
that circum ances could hardly get any
worse on December 21st 2006 gerbin
ghouly birie mammadov was appointed
acting president a decision that took
Everyone by surprise according to the
Constitution this role should have been
filled by OES geli ATV the chairman of
the people’s Council however ATV was
quickly disqualified following a sudden
and suspicious criminal investigation
that led to his imprisonment birdie who
had previously served as naaz off’s
personal dentist had risen through the
ranks of the political hierarchy to
become the deputy chairman of the
cabinet of ministers where he was
involved in dismantling the free health
care system while there were rumors that
birdie might be neaz off’s IL legitimate
son it is more likely that he was chosen
by the elite as a safe candidate who
could maintain the status quo and ensure
a smooth transition of power in 2007
birdie was elected president in an
election widely regarded as rich red
flouting constitutional rules that
barred the acting president from running
inheriting the same absolute power as
his predecessor birdie quickly began to
reverse many of nv’s most extreme
decrees ushering in what he termed the
era of New Renaissance he reinstated
pensions sickness and maternity benefits
and lifted bands on Opera Cinema and
ballet he also reopened hospitals in the
provincial areas and restored the
original number of mandatory school
years additionally he reversed many of
nz’s controversial renamings including
those of days and months the runam was
phased out from public and educational
spheres and most of the portraits and
statues of niazov were removed however
these symbols of the past leader were
gradually replaced with images and
writings of Birdie as he began to
cultivate his own cult of personality
but the most important early development
in Bird’s Reign was the construction of
a new gas pipeline into 2009 spanning
well over 8,000 Mi this Pipeline
traversed usbekistan and Kazakhstan
ultimately reaching China by 2015 two
additional pipelines were completed to
China collectively boasting a capacity
of 55 billion cubic met annually
surpassing any volume previously
imported by Russia this new connection
to the Chinese market proved crucial for
Turkmenistan when in 2009 a combination
of a Russian Pipeline explosion and a
sharp decline in European demand due to
the financial crisis LED Russia to
significantly reduce both the volume and
price of the turkman gas it purchased
this reduction swiftly strained
relations leading to a rapid
deterioration in the trade relationship
between the two countries by 2015 China
was purchasing 95% of turkmenistan’s gas
exports from 2007 to 2014 the shift in
trade Partners significantly boosted
turkmenistan’s economy which grew by a
staggering 19% annually the economy more
than tripled in size with annual
revenues from gas exports alone
approaching $10 billion these revenues
bolstered by additional Chinese
financing enabled birdie to follow inaz
off’s footsteps blowing money on marble
Prestige projects diverting funds into
his private accounts and implementing
bizarre policies this included a ban on
satellite dishes and air condition
conditioners in the capital because
birdie deemed them ugly while he
commissioned the construction of more
monuments personal palaces and gold
statues depicting himself his horses and
his dogs he also launched the
development of the avaza tourist Zone on
the Caspian Sea envisioned as a turkman
version of Las Vegas this ambitious
project included casinos Resorts
convention centers Sports complexes and
water parks all of course made out of
marble a additionally he oversaw the
construction of a new $2.3 billion
airport shaped like a falcon designed to
accommodate 14 million passengers
annually as part of his plan to
diversify into the tourism industry he
did not however make it easier for
tourists to enter the country only
10,000 people are allowed in each year
most of whom are oil and gas experts in
2012 claiming to usher in the era of
Might and happiness he was reelected
with an implausibly high 97% of the vote
but turkmenistan’s excessive Reliance on
gas revenues quickly ushered in a period
of shortages and stagnation instead the
impact of the Shale revolution in the
United States coupled with OPEC strategy
to increase energy production to defend
its market share caused oil and gas
prices to plummet turkmenistan’s exports
haved wiping out a fifth of its economy
a budget surplus of 10% of GDP quickly
turned turned into a 3% deficit severely
restricting the government’s ability to
import essential Goods this drastic
economic downturn resulted in widespread
shortages of basic necessities such as
flour cooking oil and sugar causing
rationing and Rising instances of
starvation furthermore Mass layoffs in
state-owned Industries propelled the
unemployment rate to an alarming 70% in
response to this crisis the government
permanently revoked citizens free access
to Essentials and resorted to stealing
funds from the population for 6 months
in 2017 20% of monthly salaries from
employees in the oil and gas sector were
deducted to finance the hosting of the
Asian indoor and martial arts games in
2021 School administrations went as far
as forcing orphans to redirect state
provided funds intended for their
personal support to pay for school
Renovations moreover the practice of
forcing tens of thousands of students
and workers to participate in unpaid
cotton harvesting has continued unabated
persisting even today during Bird’s
tenure there were no notable advances in
political and social freedoms the
government contined to suppress or
forcibly disappear political dissidence
and regular purges were conducted to
eliminate perceived threats within the
party access to external information was
further restricted travel constraints
were tightened to stem the outpouring of
skilled workers and Corruption ran
rampant by 2018 it was reported that
officials had accumulated $23 billion in
offshore accounts contrary to the
prevailing belief that birdie would
remain in power until his death he
surprisingly stepped down from his
leadership position in 2022 this move
cleared the path for his son SAR to
successfully Run for the presidency
securing a 73% majority in an election
widely regarded as predetermined
pledging to uphold his father’s policies
sar’s Reign began on strong footing
propelled by geopolitical tensions in
China’s emergence from lockdowns natural
gas prices and revenues began to Surge
once again but sar’s leadership was
short-lived doubts about his ability to
steer the nation through a period of
renewed interest in its gas resources
began to emerge among the turkman elite
including his father just 11 months
after stepping down as president Bird’s
role as chairman of the Upper House of
Parliament was elevated to the national
leader of the turkman people superseding
his son’s Authority and dampening hopes
for real change from its early days as a
land of Nomads wandering the desert
through its forceful incorporation into
the Russian and then Soviet Empires and
into an era where its dictators have
full Reign to indulge in their marble in
Gold infused Illusions Turkmenistan has
endured a history marked by external
domination and internal repression as
long as the global demand for the
country’s vast hydrocarbon resources
continues and the government maintains
absolute control over its production
significant improvements in the lives of
the people seem Out Of Reach This
strangle hold on the industry enables
the government to comfortably sustain
its self-serving regime using its
revenues to fund extensive security and
propaganda efforts that effectively
suppress any meaningful opposition the
absence of pressure whether from within
the government at the Grassroots level
or from the International Community
suggests that economic and political
liberalization crucial for improving the
lives of the population is unlikely to
occur anytime soon thus it appears
Turkmenistan is poised to remain one of
the world’s last totalitarian regimes
possibly even the last don’t miss out on
War Thunder the definitive vehicle
combat experience on PC PlayStation 4
and 5 and Xbox One an Xbox series X and
S play for free today by clicking my
link in the description below and unlock
your exclusive Bonus Pack available for
new players and ones who are inactive
for at least 6 months act quickly as the
offer is only available for a limited
time
[Music]

Play War Thunder now with my link, and get a massive, free bonus pack including vehicles, boosters and more: https://playwt.link/casualscholar2024

War Thunder is a highly detailed vehicle combat game containing over 2000 playable tanks, aircrafts and ships spanning over 100 years of development. Immerse yourself completely in dynamic battles with an unparalleled combination of realism and approachability.

How Turkmenistan Became the Most Evil Country on Earth

– Contents of this video —————————-
00:00 – The World’s Strangest Dictatorship
07:07 – The Cotton Colossus
17:01 – Great Leader of the Turkmen
25:00 – A Dictators Marble Paradise
32:31 – Echoes of the Throne

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THIS CHANNEL IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE HELP OF PATREON!
Support the channel by becoming a Patron today! https://www.patreon.com/CasualScholar

Thank you to the channel’s generous Patrons!
Hayden Haun, Emmanuel Fredenrich, Wyatt Gosling, A Fan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

– Sources used —————————————

– Inside Central Asia by Dilip Hiro
– https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alexandre-Repkine/publication/228155007_Turkmenistan_Economic_Autocracy_and_the_Recent_Growth_Performance/links/0c960527adbd2e92f6000000/Turkmenistan-Economic-Autocracy-and-the-Recent-Growth-Performance.pdf
– https://www.economist.com/asia/2018/07/05/turkmenistan-finds-a-novel-solution-to-mass-emigration
– https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/02/17/turkmenistans-despot-finds-a-worthy-successor-his-son
– https://www.economist.com/news/2003/11/20/the-worlds-worst-turkmenistan
– https://www.economist.com/special-report/2003/07/26/cottoning-on
– https://www.economist.com/asia/2008/06/26/still-a-prison
– https://www.economist.com/asia/2006/05/25/inside-the-mad-despots-realm
– https://www.economist.com/asia/2016/12/15/shrinking-exports-spell-trouble-for-turkmenistan
– https://web.archive.org/web/20210124052919/http://www.cottoncampaign.org/turkmenistans-forced-labor-problem.html
– https://www.hoover.org/research/central-asia-and-war-ukraine
– https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/887311468111849090/pdf/ACS12651-WP-P148086-OUO-9-Box391453B.pdf
– https://www.rferl.org/a/turkmenistan-cotton-forced-labor-state-workers/32566055.html
– Pirani, Simon. “Turkmenistan.” Central Asian Gas: Prospects for the 2020s, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, 2019, pp. 2–14. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep30971.10.
– Lídl, Václav. “Turkmenistan’s Energy Policy in Central Asia.” The Natural Gas Conundrum: Transformation of the Central Asian Energy Security Complex after 1991, Karolinum Press, 2022, pp. 96–159. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.949055.8.
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8ZXGLb1faU

#Economics #History #Turkmenistan #NorthKorea #CasualScholar #EconomicHistory #TurkmenistanHistory