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PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #0483/01 1080932
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 170932Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0621
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0304
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 3645
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1463
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1330
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1899
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2423

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000483 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/CARC, EEB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON ETRD SCUL TU AJ TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN: U.S. COMPANY TO ERECT WORLD'S 
TALLEST FLAG POLE IN ASHGABAT 
 
¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. PRESIDENT 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Turkmenistan is home to the world's biggest carpet 
-- a fact certified by the Guinness Book of World Records and 
not particularly surprising given the world renown of Turkmen 
carpets.  Soon, albeit briefly, Turkmenistan also will be 
home to the world's tallest flag pole, thanks to the American 
company, Trident Support, whose managing director briefed 
EmbOffs April 17 on this unusual project.  It was 
commissioned by the Turkish construction company, Polimeks, 
as a birthday gift for President Berdimuhamedov.  The flag 
pole (with a flag, of course) will be located in front of the 
National Museum on Archibil Avenue, not far from the U.S. 
Embassy housing compound, and will be presented to the 
president on his birthday, June 29.  An official from the 
Guinness Book of World Records will come to certify it when 
it is commissioned. 
 
A COMPANY IS BORN 
 
¶3.  (SBU) According to the managing director, Trident Support 
is the only company that makes giant, world-record flag 
poles.  It all started in Abu Dhabi several years ago when 
the managing director worked for Sheikh Abdullah.  One day, 
the Sheikh decided he wanted the world's tallest flag pole, 
and so the managing director built it (369 feet).  As time 
went by, various visitors from other countries came, admired 
the flag pole, and wanted one of their own.  The Sheikh gave 
the managing director his blessing to start the company, 
which is based now in Dubai. 
 
 THE ASHGABAT FLAG POLE 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The Ashgabat flag pole, made from 150 tons of 
steel, will be 399 feet tall with a 105 ft. by 156 ft. flag. 
The base of the pole is 7.8 feet and the diameter is three 
feet.  It will cost $1 million (paid in Euros, so the cost 
may even be higher when finally paid), which the managing 
director said makes it one of the cheaper poles.  In fact, it 
is a bare-bones model.  Polimeks was unwilling to spring for 
the man basket (for bringing people up and down the pole), 
laser light system at the top, and camera, which are usually 
standard on the poles.  In addition, Trident Support will 
throw in three flags for free, despite the difficulty of 
producing a large flag as detailed as Turkmenistan's with its 
intricate strip depicting the carpet patterns of the five 
provinces.  Each flag costs approximately $15,000 and lasts 
about a month.  The company will have to bring in a crane 
from Turkey, since none of the cranes currently in 
Turkmenistan are capable of raising the flag pole. 
 
NOT NUMBER ONE FOR LONG 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Alas, the glory of having the world's tallest flag 
pole will be fleeting.  The company will erect an even taller 
one (483 feet) two months later in Baku.  The Azeri 
government will not scrimp and will pay $4.2 million for its 
flag pole.  The Baku flag pole will also be 9 feet wider than 
Turkmenistan's. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) COMMENT:  We are curious how President 
Berdimuhamedov will react when he finds out that he didn't 
get all the trimmings and, even worse, that his pole will be 
overtaken by the Azeris.  Of course, it could mean repeat 
business here for Trident Support if flag-pole envy takes 
over and the Turkmen decide they want to take back the title 
from the Azeris as possessors of "world's tallest flag pole." 
 Or maybe Berdimuhamedov will console himself with the new TV 
tower that is to be completed (also by Polimeks) for the 20th 
anniversary of Turkmenistan's independence.  Located on a 
southern foothill overlooking Ashgabat, the structure will be 
about 800 feet tall and is projected to cost about 137 
 
ASHGABAT 00000483  002 OF 002 
 
 
million euros.  END COMMENT. 
HOAGLAND