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DE RUEHAH #1339/01 3451126
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 111126Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001339 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PINR SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S COUNCIL ON RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS 
SHOWING LITTLE MOVEMENT ON KEY ISSUES 
 
¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  SUMMARY:  DRL DAS Erica Barks-Ruggles met December 
7 with the Chairman of the Council for Religious Affairs, 
Charygeldi Seryayev to discuss religious freedom issues. 
Seryayev emphasized the there is inter-confessional harmony 
and respect in Turkmenistan, and he did not seem to be 
well-versed on elements of the religion law.  He pointed to 
other government bodies, (including the Ministry of Justice) 
as the ones that are responsible for difficult issues such as 
registration of religious groups and alternative service for 
conscientious objectors saying the Council simply provides 
input.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  A delegation led by DRL Deputy Assistant Secretary 
Erica Barks-Ruggles met December 7 with Council for Religious 
Affairs Chairman Charygeldi Seryayev to discuss religious 
freedom issues.  Seryayev recited the progress Turkmenistan 
has made in advancing religious freedom, including the 
registration of ten religious groups since independence, as 
well as two more this year.  Turkmenistan has a policy of 
respect for other religions, he said, especially in this 
"period of revival" in Turkmenistan (NOTE: President 
Berdimuhamedov has characterized  in public speeches this 
post-Niyazov period as Turkmenistan's termed this 
post-Niyazov period as Turkmenistan's "new revival."  END 
NOTE.) 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Seryayev said religious education reform is 
underway as well.  He pointed to young assistants to his 
right and left and indicated that they were both graduates of 
Turkmen State University's religion faculty.  There are 
ninety-five students currently studying under the faculty, 
and the number of students will be expanded soon.  Upon 
graduation, he said, these students will be guaranteed jobs. 
Indeed, they will be qualified to operate as imams in Turkmen 
mosques or in the Religious Affairs Council.  He also said 
students were permitted to study religious issues abroad and 
return to Turkmenistan.  In response to questions by the 
delegation, Seryayev noted that the Ruhnama is not a part of 
religious curriculum at the religious faculty.  He said it is 
only part of the curriculum in terms of the history and 
identity of the Turkmen people. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Turning to the issue of registration of religious 
groups, Seryayev was quick to note that the registration 
process was largely under the control of the Justice 
Ministry, with the Council providing input along the way.  He 
said the primary reason the Ministry of Justice is refusing 
to register many of the groups is the groups' small numbers. 
When asked directly, he said that registration rules require 
groups to have a minimum of 50 members, who are named in 
registration documentation, in order to register as religious 
organizations.  (NOTE: During a subsequent meeting with 
Ministry of Justice officials, they indicated that groups 
with less than 50 members are allowed to register as 
"religious groups."  This was confirmed in a meeting with 
religious leaders of both registered and unregistered 
religious organizations and groups.  Some of the registered 
groups wee as small as 10 members.  END NOTE.)  When asked 
whether unregistered organizations or groups are able to meet 
and worship, Seryayev denied that such groups are followed or 
monitored, and he maintained that they are allowed to meet in 
private homes as long as their neighbors do not object. 
Unregistered groups, he noted, are unable to have a permanent 
place of worship, however, and may not lease or own property 
for that purpose. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  DAS Barks-Ruggles asked Seryayev whether the 
Council had any immediate plans to work with the OSCE Panel 
of Experts on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which has helped 
other countries with issues relating to minority group 
relations and dealing with extremist groups as well.  He 
 
ASHGABAT 00001339  002 OF 002 
 
 
responded that the Council had never encountered any 
extremist groups, and had no problems with religious freedom 
in general, but would be open to considering working with the 
OSCE Panel of Experts in the future. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  The delegation asked about the religion law's 
requirement that any religious group leader must be Turkmen. 
Seryayev noted that the law does permit a naturalized Turkmen 
citizen to lead a religious community, but did say that all 
groups or organizations are supposed to be headed by Turkmen 
citizens.  The delegation, noting the positive movement in 
the registration of tow groups this fall, pressed Seryayev to 
move forward on other pending requests for registration, 
noting in particular tat some requests had been pending for 
years.  Seryayev stated that "there should be no problem as 
soon as groups meet the numbers required."  (NOTE:  Religious 
leaders in a separate meeting complained about repeated 
bureaucratic obstruction of applications for minor typos and 
other non-substantive reasons.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The delegation also asked Seryayev to work to 
reinstate an alternative to military service for 
conscientious objectors.  At first, Seryayev did not 
understand the nature of the question, then said that two 
years of military service is compulsory in Turkmenistan, and 
everyone has to do it.  When the delegation repeated the 
question about restoring an alternative service option, 
Seryayev responded that this was a Ministry of Defense issue, 
not one for the Council.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
representative in the room corrected his response and said 
that it was an issue for both the Ministry of Defense and 
Ministry of Justice.  (NOTE:  The lack of an alternative 
service option has been a major issue for Turkmenistan's 
Jehovah's Witness community, who are probably the single 
largest unregistered religious group in the country and are 
conscientious objectors.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  COMMENT:  Seryayev led the meeting, which is 
unusual.  In all previous meetings with post and previous 
delegations, meetings have been presided over by Deputy 
Chairman Nurmuhammet Gurbanov, an older, more politically 
savvy interlocutor who speaks fluent Russian.  Seryayev may 
not speak Russian, which may be part of the reason he has not 
typically met with us.  However, it is interesting to note he 
is much younger and more soft-spoken than Gurbanov, who is a 
quintessential politician.  Seryayev presented himself much 
more like a former seminary student, and seemed to be 
unprepared to address some of the questions that were raised. 
 It may well be that although Seryayev has the religious 
credentials to head the Council, Gurbanov is the face the 
government more often wants to put forward in its dealings 
with the outside world.    This time, however, Gurbanov may 
have instead accompanied President Berdimuhamedov and 
visiting Turkish President Gul to Konye Urgench.  END COMMENT. 
 
¶10. (U) DAS Barks-Ruggles cleared this cable. 
 
 
 
CURRAN