VZCZCXRO1788
RR RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #0695/01 1941046
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131046Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8994
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0915
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0408
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 2118
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0867
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0430

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASHGABAT 000695 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, IIP/T, IIP/G/NEA-SA, SA 
SCA/CEN, SCA/PAB, SCA/INS, SCA/RA, SCA/PPD, DRL 
CENTCOM PUBLIC AFFAIRS-MAJ.BALDWIN/SGT. BAKER 
USCINCPAC FOR POLAD R. HUSO 
SECDEF FOR PA 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP PREL PGOV PHUM TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN MEDIA REACTION IN APRIL-MAY 
 
REFTEL:  (A) Ashgabat 466, (B) Ashgabat 565, (C) Ashgabat 
[Romanowski Media Reaction], (D) Ashgabat 587 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (U) Media reaction to post events in April and May were overall 
very accurate and positive to major visitors and events, but the 
state media continued to ignore smaller security and cultural 
programs.  Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Steven Mann (Ref D) 
and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alina L. Romanowski's 
(Reftel Ashgabat [Romanowski Media Reaction]) visits garnered full 
and mostly positive media attention.  The Ambassador's Cultural 
Preservation Fund failed to receive credit from state media for 
supporting two projects despite coverage of their completion in 
April and May. 
 
POSITIVE TOWARDS OUR POLICIES 
----------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) On April 18, pro-government website TURKMENISTAN.RU 
(Russian, English), based on a RIA Novosti (Russian) wire report, 
accurately quoted Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and 
Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza as saying: "We are just trying to 
cultivate a new relationship with Turkmenistan, we feel we have the 
chance to open up an absolutely new chapter in our engagement with 
Turkmenistan.  My colleagues who have visited there [Turkmenistan] 
since President Niyazov's death have been pleasantly surprised by 
the degree to which the new president seems to want to open to the 
West."  Bryza noted that the Russian stranglehold over the transit 
routes from Central Asia was one of the obstacles for expansion of 
cooperation with Turkmenistan.  Bryza also highlighted that Russia 
bought gas from Central Asia for $100 per 1000 cubic meters and sold 
it to Europe for up to $300.  He also stressed that the U.S. 
government was concerned over Russia's expansion in the European 
energy market. 
 
STATE AND OPPOSITION MEDIA BOTH LOVE JAZZ 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) On April 18, pro-government website TURKMENISTAN.RU 
(Russian, English) posted an article on Ari Roland Jazz Quartet's 
embassy-sponsored visit to Turkmenistan.  The article accurately 
noted that the group visited in honor of Jazz Appreciation Month and 
stated the group's performance dates in other regions of 
Turkmenistan.  Based on the embassy press release, it gave a short 
background on the group and stated that all performances were free 
and open to the public.  (Note: Audiences are typically selected by 
authorities rather than open to the public.  End note.)  The 
following day, state dailies "Neutral Turkmenistan" (Russian, circ. 
34,701) and "Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, circ. 28,091) covered the 
group's opening performance in Ashgabat, emphasizing that it was 
very successful and noting enthusiastic applause from the audience. 
On April 21, the state TV-4 Channel, which broadcasts in English, 
aired a follow-up program with video scenes from the performance and 
a personal interview of each group member. 
 
¶4.  (U) On April 24, opposition website www.chrono-tm.org posted an 
article on Ari Roland Jazz Quartet's performance in Dashoguz.  The 
article emphasized the people of Dashoguz had not seen foreign 
performances for many years.  The article reported that the majority 
of the audience was young adults and that the performance lasted for 
more than two hours.  It praised the audience's reaction to the 
music and noted that the local music school's teachers and students 
performed with the group.  The article highlighted that after the 
performance many students spoke with the group.  It emphasized that 
everyone left the theater falling in love with jazz and hoping that 
foreign concert tours would become regular events.  The article, 
referring to comments by the theater's staff, stated that for the 
first time in years an audience came to the theater by their own 
free will and watched a performance with interest and joy.  The 
article underlined that government officials commonly filled theater 
performances based on the late President Niyazov's poetry with 
military conscripts and high school students. 
 
ETHNIC LINK HELPS YELLOW BIRD GROUP'S COVERAGE 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶5.  (U) The April 4 "Neutral Turkmenistan" (Russian, circ. 34,891) 
article on the Apache-American dancing group Yellow Bird presented a 
very positive picture of the group while making numerous allusions 
 
ASHGABAT 00000695  002 OF 003 
 
 
to a Turkmen/Native American ethnic link.  The article accurately 
described the background of the group and general information on its 
future activities in Turkmenistan.  (Comment:  Media in Turkmenistan 
usually do not provide information about post-sponsored performances 
outside of Ashgabat.  This creates problems in advertising events. 
End Comment.)  The piece noted a shared ethnic link.  Quotes and 
information from the group members implied to readers that Yellow 
Bird shared this opinion.  On April 12, state weekly "Ashgabat" 
(Turkmen, circ. 16,191) published an article on Yellow Bird, with a 
color picture from their performance in Ashgabat and included their 
interview with the newspaper correspondent.  The questions were 
mainly about the group's background and their impression of 
Turkmenistan and its people.  In the conclusion, the author 
expressed her great appreciation to the Cultural Affairs Assistant 
and Media Assistant of the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. 
Embassy for helping to interview the group in the Turkmen language. 
(Note: The article accurately detailed the names and titles of the 
embassy employees, a rare occurence.  End Note.)  State TV played 
video excerpts from Yellow Bird performances for Turkmenistan's 
Theater and Folklore Festival from April 1-7, along with interviews 
with the group members at the cultural programs.  (Note:  State 
Watan TV news program inaccurately presented the group member Tony 
Duncan as a member of an Ethiopian dance group -- a likely editing 
error only.  End Note.) 
 
UNITED STATES AID AND OUTREACH IGNORED 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) State media ignored Congressman Peter Hoekstra's April 4-5 
visit to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional security issues. 
 Independent website www.turkmenpress.com reprinted the embassy 
press release from April 6. 
 
¶7.  (U) Post hosted a leading specialist in English Language 
Teaching, Dr. Donna Brinton, May 11-23.  Brinton's sessions included 
talks on the process of accrediting institutes of higher education 
and curriculum standards to representatives of the Supreme Council 
for Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, and National 
Institute for Education.   Brinton held a week of evening seminars, 
day-long conferences on interactive teaching methodology for local 
teachers, and daily presentations for both professors and students 
at Turkmen State University, the Azadi World Languages Institute and 
Turkmen-Turkish University.  Brinton also traveled to Dashoguz, Mary 
and Lebap, where she consulted with local teachers and education 
experts.  State media gave no coverage during this long visit, even 
though educational programs and reform have featured prominently in 
other coverage. 
 
¶8.  (U) The donation of laboratory equipment valued at $85,000 by 
the U.S. government to the National Criminal Research Center of 
Turkmenistan's Ministry of the Interior on May 10 and a two-day 
Proliferation Awareness Seminar from 25-26, held by technical 
specialists from the Monterey Institute of International Studies 
also failed to attract state media attention.  Despite the presence 
of representatives from Turkmenistan's ministries of Foreign 
Affairs, Internal Affairs, State Customs Service, State Border 
Service and Trade and Consumer Cooperation, no state outlets covered 
these events. 
 
¶9.  (U) On April 22, state dailies "Neutral Turkmenistan" (Russian, 
circ. 34,701) and "Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, circ. 28,091) published 
an article about Abu Seyyed Mosque.  The article described the 
history and restoration of the mosque but did not mention that an 
Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation grant in 2001 funded the 
mosque's preservation. 
 
State Daily Bans Coverage of Global Youth Service Day 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶10.  (U) On April 24, government website www.turkmenistan.gov.tm 
posted an article on a Global Youth Service Day project organized by 
exchange program alumni, but the same story never ran in print 
media.  This project gathered young volunteers to the Akdere 
recreation area near the capital of Ashgabat to pick up litter.  The 
article praised the ecological event and recognized supporters from 
local schools and educational institutions, the majority of whom 
were volunteers from IREX, ACCELS, U.S. Embassy's Information 
Resource Center, U.S. Embassy's Public Affairs Section staff, and 
Peace Corps volunteers in Turkmenistan.  The article accurately 
stated that many people conduct such acts annually on worldwide 
"Global Youth Service Day."  (Note:  PAO gave opening remarks and 
 
ASHGABAT 00000695  003 OF 003 
 
 
actively took part in the event.  End Note.)  The author of the 
article was a correspondent from state daily "Neutral Turkmenistan" 
(Russian, circ. 34,701) and, despite her best efforts, she could not 
publish it in the daily or other state print outlets.  (Comment: 
The acting editor-in-chief of the daily justified the ban by saying 
that all news focused on President Berdimuhamedov's visit to Russia, 
so the event would be of no interest to readers.  End Comment.) 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU) After a sudden wave of favorable media coverage in March, 
post was surprised to find greater limits on the coverage of embassy 
programs and events during April.  However, DAS Romanowski's visit 
in early May reached a new level of positive and extensive coverage. 
 Given that the Ministry of Culture, which oversees all state media 
broadcasting, has been under scrutiny and re-organization from the 
president's office, the future of coverage of U.S. 
government-sponsored events remains unclear.  In May, a pattern 
emerged of positive, broad coverage for important visitors, events, 
and meetings.  Meanwhile, smaller workshops, programs, and regional 
events usually received no attention.  Recent coverage of embassy 
events and programs still reflects the government's continued use of 
the media more as a political tool than an information source.  Even 
so, state media usually conveyed core U.S. messages.  End Comment. 
 
HOAGLAND