VZCZCXRO5845
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHAH #1398/01 3060608
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 020608Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3676
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001398 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, INL/AAE BUHLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SOCI TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN: "THE SANDPIT GENERALS" 
 
ASHGABAT 00001398  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U)  Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public 
Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  On the occasion of Turkmenistan's 
Independence Day, President Berdimuhamedov conferred 
the rank of the Major General (MajGen) to the Minister 
of Defense (MOD) and the Chief of the State Border 
Service (SBS).  Several other military and law 
enforcement officers were promoted in rank and title. 
There are now four Turkmen major generals.  Compared 
with former President Niyazov, President 
Berdimuhamedov seems more cautious in 
empowering military and law enforcement officials 
with high titles and ranks.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) On October 27, Turkmenistan's Independence 
Day, President Berdimuhamedov issued a decree 
conferring military and special titles and class ranks 
to military and law enforcement officials.  Minister 
of Defense, Colonel Yaylym Berdiyev and Chief of the 
State Border Service (SBS) of Turkmenistan, Colonel 
Myrat Yslamov were conferred the rank of Major 
General.  These promotions increased the number of the 
MajGens in Turkmenistan from two to four.  So far, 
only the Minister of National Security Charymyrat 
Amanov and Deputy Minister of Defense, Chief of the 
Main Service for Civil Defense and Rescue Operations, 
Muhammetguly Atabayev held this rank.  No current 
official holds the rank above MajGen, except for 
Berdimuhamedov himself.  Former Minister of Defense 
Mammetgeldiyev, who was awarded by Turkmenbashy with 
the rank of Army General, retired early this year. 
Presently, in a country with an estimated 50,000-person 
army, only President Berdimuhamedov has the rank of 
Army General.  Another general, Gurbanmuhammet 
Kasymov, former Turkmen Ambassador to China and later 
to Kazakhstan, resigned his position due to health 
reasons. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Several other heads of military and law 
enforcement agencies were promoted. 
LTC Guychgeldi Hojaberdiyev, Chief of the President's 
Security Service and LTC Aman Garayev, Chief of the 
State Counter Narcotics Service of Turkmenistan, were 
promoted to the rank of Colonel.  Minister of Internal 
Affairs, LTC of Police Isgender Mulikov, was promoted 
to the rank of Colonel of Police.  Majors Orazgeldi 
Esenov, Chairman of the Customs Service, and 
Seyitniyaz Ballyev, Chairman of the Migration Service 
were promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. 
Senior Counsellor of Justice, Prosecutor General of 
Turkmenistan Chary Hojamyradov was promoted to the 
Third Level State Counsellor of Justice.  Head of the 
Supreme Court, Yaranmyrat Yazmyradov was moved from 
the Third to the Second Qualification Level.  Finally, 
Minister of Justice Myrat Garryev was awarded with 
the title of State Counsellor of Adalat (Justice). 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The ranks above major are only conferred by 
the Turkmen president, which usually causes a delay 
for career military and law enforcement officials in 
getting their promotions for length of service.  A 
Senior Lieutenant (SLT), a friend of the an Embassy 
local staff member, said that "a lot of military officers 
wait for years until the president finally signs their 
promotion decrees."  The rank of MajGen has 
traditionally been the rank for a Deputy Minister- 
level official, while the head of an agency normally 
held the rank of a Lieutenant General (Lt.Gen) or a 
Colonel General (ColGen).  During the Niyazov period, 
an appointee to the Deputy Minister or Minister-level 
 
ASHGABAT 00001398  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
position would automatically receive a title of 
General."  For instance, former SBS Chief Alovov, when 
appointed to the position, was conferred the rank of 
MajGen immediately from the rank of Major. 
"Berdimuhammedov doesn't do so," SLT said.  "Many 
military officers hold positions above their ranks. 
Commanders of a military unit, which is normally a 
Colonel level position, are often a Major or even a 
Captain.  Majors led the ministries." 
 
¶6.  (SBU) There were many generals in Turkmenistan in 
the early 1990s, but only two were ethnic Turkmen, 
General Kopekov, later Minister of Defense of 
Turkmenistan and Lt. Gen Ilya Veljanov later Turkmen 
Ambassador to Belarus.  Non-Turkmen generals moved to 
the countries of their ethnicities after the collapse 
of the Soviet Union.  Niyazov was generous with 
awarding titles not only to himself, but also to 
others.  He increased the number of Turkmen generals 
during his presidency, but at the same time sent most 
of them to long term imprisonment before his death. 
Among those who survived Niyazov were Army General 
Mammetgeldiyev (MOD); ColGen Akmyrat Rejepov, Head of 
Presidential Security; MajGen Alovov, Chief of SBS; 
and MajGen Ashyrmuhammedov, Minister of National 
Security.  Berdimuhammedov got rid of all of them: 
Mammetgeldiyev retired, Rejepov was imprisoned, 
Alovov and Ashyrmuhammedov were dismissed. 
 
¶7. (SBU) COMMENT:  The Sandpit Generals was a 1971 
Soviet film featuring a street gang of poor 
homeless youth struggling for existence in Brazil, but 
captured by police and sent to prison.  In the past, 
Turkmen generals have often shared a similar fate, 
winding up in prison.  A retired Colonel, former Head 
of Ahal Province Military Commission, said that when 
he was called in by his good friend, Minister of 
Defense Mammetgeldiyev, and offered a position within 
the Ministry and a rank of MajGen during Niyazov's 
regime, he declined.  "I would better stay free as a 
Colonel than in prison as a General" he said in his 
confession to a civilian friend.  It remains to be 
seen whether fate is kinder to this latest class of 
Turkmen generals.  END COMMENT. 
 
CURRAN