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DE RUEHAH #0055/01 0140757
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 140757Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0055
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
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RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000055 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINR ECON SOCI TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTANL:  AHAL TEKE TRIBE DOMINATES GOVERNMENT 
 
REF: ASHGABAT 1284 
 
¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: Examination of background information that is 
available on government leadership reinforces the widely-held notion 
that President Berdimuhamedov's Ahal Teke tribe dominates the senior 
levels of government.  Members of other tribes also have positions 
of power, particularly in the oil and gas sector, but this may be a 
place where job skills trump point of origin.  Twenty-six of 31 top 
Government of Turkmenistan officials are descended from the Ahal 
Teke tribe, the dominant tribe in Turkmenistan.  There are two 
officials from each of Mary Teke and Balkan Yomut tribes.  While 
Dashoguz Yomut tribe is slightly better represented than the latter 
two, the Ersari tribe is not represented at all.  All Law 
Enforcement Officials are Ahal Tekes.  END SUMMARY. 
 
TOP ECHELON STRONGLY AHAL TEKE 
 
¶3. (SBU) Available information revealed that 26 of 31 senior 
officials, or roughly 84 percent, including President 
Berdimuhamedov, come from Ahal Province, suggesting that they are 
Ahal Teke, the most dominant tribe in Turkmenistan (reftel).  The 
Speaker of Parliament, Akja Nurberdiyeva, is also Ahal Teke, as are 
four of the seven Deputy Chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers.  They 
are: 
 
-- Rashid Meredov, the Deputy Chairman for Foreign Relations and 
Minister of Foreign Affairs.  (NOTE: Post has heard that Meredov's 
mother is an ethnic Azeri and that he speaks Azeri fluently, but 
nationality and tribe in Turkmenistan are based on the father's 
lineage.  Because Meredov was born in Ashgabat, he is presumably 
Ahal Teke.  END NOTE.); 
 
-- Hojamuhammet Muhammedov, Deputy Chairman for Economy, Finance, 
Textile, and Agriculture; 
 
-- Nazarguly Shaguliyev, Deputy Chairman for Energy, Industry, 
Construction and Motor Transport; 
 
-- Gurbannazar Ashyrov, Deputy Chairman for Communication and 
Transportation. 
 
The remaining three Deputy Chairmen representing minority tribes are 
Tachberdi Tagiyev, responsible for Oil and Gas, who is likely Balkan 
Yomut; Hydyr Saparliyev, who covers Education, Science, and 
Healthcare; and Maysa Yazmuhammedova, responsible for Culture, TV 
Broadcasting and Press.  The latter two are likely Mary Teke. 
 
AHAL TEKE DOMINATE THE MINISTERIAL LEVEL 
 
¶4. (SBU) Available information also suggests that 14 of 16 key 
ministers or ministerial-level officials from various sectors are 
Ahal Teke.  They are: 
 
-- Bayrammyrat Muradov, Head of the State Agency for Management and 
Use of Hydrocarbon Resources; 
 
-- Baymurat Hojamuhammedov, Minister of Oil and Gas Industry and 
Mineral Resources; 
 
-- Gurbannur Annaveliyev, Minister of Energy and Industry; 
 
-- Hojamyrat Geldimyradov, Minister of Economy and Finance; 
 
-- Geldimyrat Abylov, Chairman of Central Bank; 
 
-- Jemal Goklenova, Minister of Textile Industry; 
 
-- Norekguly Ataguliyev, Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic 
Relations; 
 
-- Ata Serdarov, Minister of Healthcare and Medical Industry; 
 
-- Muhammetgeldi Annaamanov, Minister of Education; 
 
ASHGABAT 00000055  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
-- Esenmyrat Orazgeldiyev, Minister of Agriculture; 
 
-- Resulberdi Hojagurbanov, Minister of Communication; 
 
-- Shamuhammet Durdyliyev, Minister of Construction and Construction 
Materials Industry; 
 
-- Deryaguly Muhammetgulyev, Minister of Railway Transportation; 
 
-- Gulmyrat Myradov, Minister of Culture and Broadcasting. 
 
The two ministers who represent minority tribes are Yagshygeldi 
Kakayev, State Minister of Turkmen Gas Concern, who is a Dashoguz 
Yomut and Garyagdy Tashliyev, State Minister of Turkmen Oil Concern, 
a Balkan Yomut. 
 
POWER POSITIONS LIKEWISE AHAL TEKE 
 
¶5. (SBU) Not surprisingly, Ahal Teke representatives also completely 
monopolize law enforcement and power ministries.  Defense Minister 
Agageldi Mammetgeldiyev, Minister of National Security Charymyrat 
Amanov, Minister of Internal Affairs Orazgeldi Amanmyradov, Minister 
of Justice Myrat Garryev, Prosecutor General Muhammet Ogshukov, and 
Chairman of the State Border Service Bayram Alovov all come from 
Ahal Province, making it likely they are all Ahal Tekes.  (NOTE: 
The former Minister of National Security, Geldimuhammet 
Ashyrmuhammedov, was from the small minority Nohur tribe.  Although 
he resigned reportedly due to health reasons, Post has heard that 
Ashyrmuhammedov had to work twice as hard and constantly show his 
loyalty to the leadership to prevail in his position.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: Given the strong predominance of Ahal Tekes in the 
top echelons of government here, it is safe to say that President 
Berdimuhamedov wants the tribe to be the most politically 
influential.  Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that the president has 
chosen to entrust three major portfolios relating to Turkmenistan's 
oil and gas wealth to two Balkan Yomuts and a Dashoguz Yomut.  The 
appointment of these three officials may be one sign of 
Berdimuhamedov's preference, particularly when it comes to certain 
high-value sectors, for choosing people for their competence, 
knowledge, and experience.  This strongly contradicts former 
President Niyazov's practice of appointing young and inexperienced 
sycophants.  END COMMENT. 
 
¶7.  (U) BACKGROUND:  Historically, the Dashoguz Yomut were 
associated with the Khanate of Khiva, and the Esarai in the east 
with the Khanate of Bukhara.  The Balkan Yomut in the west were 
nomadic herders and fishermen.  The Ahal Teke for the most part 
exchanged nomadism for urban and agricultural life long before the 
19th-century Imperial Russian invasion and mixed freely with the 
Persians to the south, developing a relatively cosmopolitan 
reputation.  The first generation of Soviets in the 1920s hoped to 
introduce liberal European values and blur tribal allegiances, but 
throughout the Soviet era, the Ahal Teke dominated the senior 
positions of the Communist Party of Turkmenistan.  In the late 
1920s, the Soviet authorities published a decree moving the capital 
from Ashgabat to Charjev (now Turkmenabat) in the east, but the Ahal 
Teke Soviets dragged their feet until it never happened.  There has 
always seemed to be a consensus among Turkmen, accepted so long as 
everyone gets a culturally appropriate share, that the Ahal Teke are 
first among equals. 
 
HOAGLAND