VZCZCXRO8831
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #0423/01 0931216
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031216Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2591
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 5031
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 2784
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 2649
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 3275
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000423 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
SCA/CEN; EEB 
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN 
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/THOMPSON 
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ECON EINV TX TU
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN:  IN TURKMENBASHY, IT'S ALL ABOUT 
AVAZA 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY:  The Caspian port city of Turkmenbashy is 
quickly being overshadowed by the construction work underway 
at the nearby Avaza National Tourist Zone, where the 
President is pressuring contractors and ministries alike to 
get the work done in time for mid-June ceremonies.  The city 
of Turkmenbashy itself is not seeing the same level of 
attention in terms of refurbishment, but some of its citizens 
will be moving to new housing planned in the next few years. 
The most near-term benefits city residents can expect are 
some fresh employment opportunities at the new Avaza 
facilities, if this tourist zone draws clientele.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
"TURKMENBASHY--DOORWAY TO CENTRAL ASIA" 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Poloff met April 1 with Mayor of Turkmenbashy city 
Ashirniyaz Pomanov to learn about recent developments in and 
around the city.  Pomanov noted that the biggest news in 
recent days had been the March 20 Cabinet of Ministers 
meeting, which the President held here in Turkmenbashy. 
Pomanov said the city's residents were most encouraged to 
hear about the President's order to build new, white marble 
elite apartments for some 20,000 of the city's residents. 
(NOTE:  Turkmenbashy has about 67,000 residents, nearly all 
of whom live in decrepit housing.  END NOTE.)  Most of the 
existing housing in the city was built in the 1960s or 
earlier, and is in very poor condition.  The new housing is 
to be built next to a new international airport that Turkish 
firm Polimeks is building north of the city.  The airport, he 
said, is to be completed by October 2009, and will be capable 
of handling 800 passengers per hour.  It will also have cargo 
handling facilities.  "Turkmenbashy," he said, "will be the 
doorway to Central Asia." 
 
TURKISH FIRMS MAKING THE AVAZA DREAM A REALITY 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  He then transitioned to the work underway at the 
President's pet project at Avaza.  He said that many 
countries were now investing in the project, including 
Turkey, France, Iran and Russia with the construction of 
hotels, recreation facilities, sanatoria, and the like. 
Pomanov noted that on June 15, there would be major 
ceremonies and events at Avaza to cut the ribbon on at least 
four new hotels and sanatoria that would be finished before 
then.  This included a four-star hotel being built by the 
Turkish firm Ickale for the Oil and Gas Construction Concern, 
Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Energy and Industry 
sanatoria being built by the Turkish Sehil company, a 
sanatorium for the Ministry of Railway Transport being built 
by the Turkish firm Delta, and a sanatorium for the Central 
Bank of Turkmenistan being built by Polimeks. (NOTE:  Poloff 
noted that one of the facilities appears near completion. 
There are three other buildings that have framework up. 
Additionally, Polimeks has now established a rather 
significantly-sized residential compound for its people, 
located just a few blocks away from the old airport.  END 
NOTE.) 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  He said the new gas turbine power station that 
Lotus Enerji is building will be operational by May 2010, 
providing a new source of power for the National Tourism 
Zone.  (NOTE:  Poloff observed that Turkish contractors 
Polimeks and Ickale have also completed the grading work for 
the 7-kilometer artificial river that is to course through 
the Avaza complex.  The companies are just now beginning to 
lay complex concrete footings for the walls of the canal, 
likely necessary for the sandy topography of Avaza.  The 
Turkmenbashy oil refinery, curiously, is the customer for 
 
ASHGABAT 00000423  002 OF 002 
 
 
this project.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  COMMENT:  It seems that development plans are 
moving forward aggressively for the Avaza Tourist Zone, and 
the city of Turkmenbashy itself appears to be an 
afterthought.  Still, for this relatively small town, the 
opening of these new facilities in Avaza could provide a 
modest number of new employment opportunities that would be 
longer term than those derived from construction.  However, 
even this will depend on the extent to which these new 
facilities draw clientele.  END COMMENT. 
MILES