VZCZCXRO3778
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #1233/01 2601138
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161138Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1560
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2117
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4305
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1982
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2553
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2891
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2892

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001233 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, IIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV SCUL KPAO TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN:  GRAY/MANN VISIT EXTENDS ACCURATE STATE 
MEDIA COVERAGE 
 
REF: Ashgabat 1211 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY:  Following DAS Krol's successful visit and media 
coverage (reftel), state media favorably covered Energy Envoys C. 
Boyden Gray and Steven Mann's September 7-8 visit to Turkmenistan, 
their meeting with President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, as well as 
their press conference in the Embassy's Public Affairs Section. 
International, and in particular, Russian media gave overall 
accurate coverage on the visit based mostly on state media reports. 
Unexpectedly, state media also interviewed Special Envoy Gray during 
his visit to Baku.  Press attendance at the Embassy-organized press 
conference demonstrated a continued growing comfort level of 
interaction between state and non-state media.  END SUMMARY. 
 
STATE MEDIA HIGHLIGHT SPECIAL ENVOY C.BOYDEN GRAY AND AMBASSADOR 
STEVEN MANN'S VISIT 
 
¶3.  (U) September 7 "Watan" TV news program (Turkmen) gave a short 
introduction of the visit's expected meetings with the government. 
Similar reports on September 8 appeared on the front pages of the 
state-run dailies "Neytralniy Turkmenistan" (Russian, circ. 44,791) 
and "Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, circ. 33,391). 
 
¶4.  (U) On September 8, the "Watan" TV news program (Turkmen) led 
with Gray and Mann's meeting with the president of Turkmenistan 
focusing on U.S. cooperation in energy.  The coverage focused on 
Turkmenistan's role in ensuring global energy security, as well as 
U.S. readiness to assist in realizing large-scale energy and export 
projects.  The story accurately carried Gray's remarks following the 
meeting, in particular the issues of export and pipeline 
diversification.  The same day, "Turkmenistan" TV channel (Russian, 
Turkmen, English, Chinese, Arabian, Persian, and French) ran a 
short, accurate news story on the meeting with video excerpts.  The 
following day, similar stories appeared on the front pages of 
state-run dailies "Neytralniy Turkmenistan" (Russian, circ. 44,791) 
and "Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, circ. 33,391), and were posted on 
government website "Turkmenistan Golden Age" (Turkmen, Russian, 
English) and on Russia-based pro-government website 
"Turkmenistan.ru" (Russian, English).  Also this report appeared on 
the front page of state newspaper "Watan" (Turkmen, circ. 30,091) on 
September 11. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) In a surprise to post, on September 10, the "Watan" TV 
news program (Turkmen) carried a special report on the International 
forum "Oil and Gas Potential of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan: Energy, 
Economy, Ecology, Partnership Strategy" that was held in Baku, 
Azerbaijan on September 9-10.  Within this forum, the broadcast 
accurately carried Special Envoy Gray's interview remarks in which 
he praised recent cooperation between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan in 
energy.  (NOTE: State media's international coverage is usually 
limited to presidential visits abroad or "soft" news items borrowed 
from other media outlets.  President Berdimuhamedov did not attend. 
END NOTE.) 
 
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA COVERAGE OF ENERGY ENVOYS' VISIT 
 
¶6.  (U) September 8 "RIA Novosti" (Russian) and "Moscow Interfax" 
(English) stories accurately covered the envoys' meeting with the 
president of Turkmenistan.  The articles mainly emphasized U.S. 
willingness to assist Turkmenistan to develop major energy projects. 
 The following day, News Central Asia (NCA) posted an article which 
linked the Gray and Mann visit to the Russia-Georgia clash, stating 
that the crisis urged U.S. to send envoys to Turkmenistan for energy 
resources.  The "Journal of Turkish Weekly" (Turkish) carried the 
same article.  On September 10, "Today's Zaman" (Turkish) posted an 
article on the visit, emphasizing Turkmenistan's willingness to 
cooperate with U.S. energy companies.  September 10 and 11 Russian 
news agencies "Ejednevnye novosti khimicheskikh predpriyatiy SNG" 
and "Ejednevnye novosti "Energetika i energoresursy Ukrainy i SNG" 
articles accurately highlighted the visit and stressed the 
importance of diversifying Turkmen energy export routes.  On 
 
ASHGABAT 00001233  002 OF 002 
 
 
September 12, Turkish newspaper "Zaman-International's" Turkmenistan 
edition (Turkmen, circ. 36,000 - and semi-independent of state 
media) ran a front-page article on Gray and Mann's meetings with 
government officials.  (NOTE: Russian news agencies' articles were 
mainly drawn from state media coverage.  END NOTE.) 
 
PRESS-CONFERENCE WITH ENERGY ENVOYS DRAWS RECORD ATTENDANCE 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Post was pleased to see that state and non-state media 
again attended a press conference organized in the Public Affairs 
Section with four to five times more media reps than would have 
attended such an event two years ago.  State media filmed the 
gathered journalists asking questions and taking notes, including 
the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty correspondent.  The delayed 
beginning of the press conference (due to the preceding government 
meeting) allowed the various media reps to mingle.  A representative 
of Turkmen State Press Service (TDH by its Russian acronym) talked 
with an unaccredited free-lancer and representative of Ukraininform. 
 The TDH rep asked a question during the press conference which 
represents only the second question from state media in the history 
of post's press conference.  (NOTE: The same TDH rep sat quietly 
through DAS Krol's press conference just a few days before.  END 
NOTE) 
 
¶8.  (U) On September 8, "Watan" TV news program (Turkmen), following 
the report about the meeting with Turkmenistan's president, and gave 
accurate coverage of the press-conference with Gray and Mann, which 
was held in the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy.  Video 
excerpts showed scenes from the press event and the story focused on 
Gray's discussion of the issues covered during the presidential 
meeting. 
 
¶9.  (U) Turkish newspaper "Zaman-International" Turkmenistan's 
September 12 edition (Turkmen, circ. 36,000 - and semi-independent 
of state media) ran a front-page article on the event.  The article 
carried a fairly short report about the press event but also drew 
heavily on the post-issued press release. 
 
¶10.  (U) On September 14, "Turkmenistan" TV channel (Russian, 
Turkmen, English, Chinese, Arabian, Persian, and French) gave 
accurate and broad coverage of the press event within its weekly 
political program.  The broadcast first highlighted the meeting with 
President Berdimuhamedov, then it fully carried Gray's opening 
statement in front of the press and accurately summarized many of 
his other responses to questions. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) COMMENT:  Overall coverage of the Gray and Mann visit was 
accurate and provided a positive image of U.S. engagement with 
Turkmenistan in the energy sector.  With the exception of the NCA 
web posting, which is not widely read, international media did not 
misinterpret the meaning of the Special Energy Envoys' visit.  Post 
believes that the significant press outreach during the visit 
contributed to accurate local and international coverage.  Although 
Turkmen state media's direct coverage of the conference in Baku may 
seem to be insignificant, it does represent a significant step away 
from the exclusive focus on the president's travel abroad as the 
only foreign news. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED: Perhaps more significant however, is 
the growing normalcy of press conferences.  The U.S. Embassy is the 
only Ashgabat organizer of regular press conferences.  The practice 
is starting to develop an expectation that U.S. visitors will answer 
journalists' questions - in contrast to Turkmen government officials 
or other foreign visitors.  It is also contributing to state media's 
level of comfort with routine practices in a Western media 
environment.  "Turkmenistan" channel's coverage of the press 
conference included footage of the RFE/RL reporter asking questions 
along with other journalists.  While a small step, this hopefully 
demonstrates a growing comfort with the presence of non-state and 
even critical news outlets.  END COMMENT. 
 
CURRAN