VZCZCXRO7970
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #0355/01 0781237
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181237Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0456
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2330
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000355 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; SCA/PPD, ECA, IIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SCUL KPAO TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN:  POSITIVE TRENDS IN STATE MEDIA ENVIRONMENT 
- RECENT MEDIA REACTION 
 
REF: 07 ASHGABAT 871 
 
¶1.  Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU).  SUMMARY: State Media's coverage of Embassy events and 
visitors has become almost routine with levels of propaganda or 
pro-regime "spin" dropping slowly over the last year.  Recent 
coverage is evidence of this continuing trend.  U.S. Coordinator for 
Eurasian Energy Diplomacy Ambassador Steven Mann's February 28-March 
1 visit to Turkmenistan received significant state and international 
media coverage.  State media highlighted the March 4 opening of the 
first Youth Center for HIV prevention as part of the USAID CAPACITY 
project.  State print outlets also covered the construction of the 
U.S.-funded border checkpoint "Farapawtoyollary" on the 
Turkmen-Uzbek border.  Post was also effective at gaining state 
media coverage for the Embassy's Black History Month events in 
February.  However, Education and Exchanges were misconstrued in the 
state press by the still obstructionist Ministry of Education END 
SUMMARY. 
 
MANN'S VISIT RECEIVES WIDE MEDIA COVERAGE 
 
¶3.  (U) On February 27, the "Watan" TV news program (Turkmen) and 
government website "Turkmenistan-Golden Age" 
(www.turkmenistan.gov.tm) (Turkmen, English, Russian) announced 
Mann's upcoming arrival in Turkmenistan, giving accurate details of 
his planned meetings in the country.  Similar reports appeared the 
following day in the state-run dailies, "Neytralniy Turkmenistan" 
(Russian, circ. 43,091) and "Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, circ. 29,091). 
Content from the February 28 broadcast of the "Watan" TV news 
program and the government website, "Turkmenistan-Golden Age," 
accurately highlighted Mann's meeting with President Berdimuhamedov. 
 The same day, the BBC Monitoring Central Asian (English) and 
Russian news agencies "Interfax" (Russian, English), "IA REGNUM" 
(Russian) based on the state media coverage, gave accurate coverage 
of the meeting.  Similar reports appeared the following day on the 
front pages of the state-run dailies, "Neytralniy Turkmenistan" 
(Russian, circ. 43,361) and "Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, circ. 29,091). 
 
 
¶4.  (U) The "Reuters" (English, Russian) February 29 articles gave 
accurate coverage of Mann's visit to Turkmenistan.  The articles 
accurately quoted Mann's remarks regarding the export routes of 
Turkmen gas to Europe, and President Berdimuhamedov's strategy in 
developing the energy sector.  The Russian publication "Vremya 
Novosti" (Russian), instead placed a disproportionate emphasis on 
Mann's visit as part of the State Department's efforts to promote a 
Trans-Caspian Pipeline and convince President Berdimuhamedov to 
participate in the project.  (NOTE:  The Reuters article was based 
on a post-arranged exclusive interview with Mann in Ashgabat.  END 
NOTE.) 
 
STATE MEDIA HIGHLIGHT U.S.-FUNDED YOUTH CENTER OPENING 
 
¶5.  (U) The state-run dailies "Neytralniy Turkmenistan" (Russian, 
circ. 44,791) and "Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, circ. 29,091) ran 
articles on March 5 highlighting the U.S.-funded HIV-prevention 
Youth Center opening in Ashgabat.  The articles were informative and 
accurate.  The "Neytralniy Turkmenistan" article also carried 
generally accurate interview remarks by the Charge.  The event 
received short coverage on the state "Altyn Asyr" (Turkmen) and 
"Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, Russian, English, French, Chinese, Arabian 
and Persian) TV Channels.  Post's Public Affairs Section, actively 
solicited and received state media coverage. 
 
STATE PRINT OUTLETS HIGHLIGHT U.S.-FUNDED BORDER POST PROJECT 
 
¶6.  (U) The state-run dailies "Neytralniy Turkmenistan" (Russian, 
circ. 44,791) and "Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, circ. 29,091) highlighted 
the construction of "Farapawtoyollary" border checkpoint, which is 
to become operational in the second half of 2008.  The article 
accurately noted that the project was funded by the United States. 
The article also accurately noted that a similar border checkpoint, 
"Imamnazar," was opened in August 2007 (reftel).  The newspapers ran 
this coverage without any prompting from post, and the article is 
noticeably more focused on information than on praise or spin 
favoring the government. 
 
STATE MEDIA HIGHLIGHT BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENTS 
 
ASHGABAT 00000355  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶7.  (U) The U.S. Embassy in Turkmenistan conducted a series of 
school presentations, a movie festival, and Jazz and Blues concert 
in honor of Black History Month, which ran February 6-28.  The state 
daily "Neytralniy Turkmenistan" (Russian, circ. 44,791) February 12 
article highlighted the celebration with an accurate and informative 
article about Black History Month and provided detailed information 
about post-conducted events.  On February 26, "Altyn Asyr" TV 
Channel broadcast coverage about the movie festival; however, some 
of the message was "lost in translation."  Among mostly accurate 
Turkmen translation, "Altyn Asyr" mistakenly reported that 
African-American history month was about the history of America and 
Africa.  (NOTE:  This confusing error did not egregiously change the 
message or intent of the TV piece as a whole.  END NOTE.) 
Turkmenistan TV channel highlighted the concert with a 15-minute 
report on the event.  Both TV channel reports included interviews by 
embassy officials. 
 
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION TAKES ALL THE CREDIT 
 
¶8.  (SBU) On March 7, state newspaper "Neutralniy Turkmenistan" ran 
an article reviewing the first year of reform in the country's 
educational sector.  The article more or less credited the Ministry 
of Education (MOE) for the exchange programs carried out by foreign 
governments, companies, or international organizations (including 
U.S. exchange programs).  It even praised the increase in the number 
of FLEX high school exchange students studying in the United States, 
implying that this was achieved by MOE.  (NOTE:  Of course, there 
was no mention of MOE's history of interference in the program and 
its recent official suggestion to reduce the number of slots for 
FLEX.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶9.  (SBU) COMMENT:  More than a year after reforms and greater 
openness started to appear in Turkmenistan, post's contact with 
state media has become almost routine and nearly always positive. 
Post's efforts to attract state media coverage of Black History 
Month events and the Youth Center opening were smooth.  Journalists' 
requests that Embassy interviewees "thank" the President have ended, 
and stories about Embassy programs that are modified to meet the 
regime's tastes have nearly disappeared. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED:  In addition, post's contact with the 
limited number of foreign news outlets present in Turkmenistan has 
also been highly successful.  However, post's ability to influence 
accurate Russian-based media coverage remains minimal.  This is 
evidenced by the differing accounts of Reuters and "Vremya Novosti" 
above.  END COMMENT. 
 
HOAGLAND