VZCZCXRO7094
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHAH #1666/01 3631228
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 291228Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3973
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 6051
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3745
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3604
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4293
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1353
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 4230

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001666 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SOCI PHUM TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN AND THE NEW YEAR'S HOLIDAY 
 
ASHGABAT 00001666  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for Internet 
distribution. 
¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY:  It is estimated that hundreds of thousands 
of dollars are spent by the city of Ashgabat each year to 
decorate the Turkmen capital for New Year's celebrations. 
Locals have observed that this year there are more lights, 
trees, and other New Year's decorations in Ashgabat than in 
previous years.  Although the mostly Muslim country does not 
officially celebrate Western and Orthodox Christmas, the 
Soviet-introduced custom of celebrating the New Year has 
grown in popularity, years after the country gained 
independence in 1991.  While Turkmen have added their own 
ethnic and religious flavors to the holiday, New Year's 
remains a colorful, popular, secular occasion that shows no 
sign of losing its prominence.  END SUMMARY. 
¶3. (SBU)  The city of Ashgabat and other government offices 
have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to decorate the 
already well-lit Turkmen capital with New Year's trees, 
lights, and other bright and shiny decorations.  Many of the 
evergreen trees planted in the city by order of former 
President Niyazov and current President Berdimuhamedov have 
been trimmed with lights.  In addition, this year, some of 
the lawns in front of government buildings have been 
decorated with rows of multicolored lights, which give the 
impression of rows of gems on a green background.  On the 
Presidential square in downtown Ashgabat, the 108-foot faux 
pine tree is topped with a crescent moon and five stars, in 
lieu of a traditional star.  Images of Father Frost (Ded 
Moroz in Russian and Ayaz Baba in Turkmen) and his 
granddaughter (Snegurichka in Russian and Garpamyk in 
Turkmen) abound throughout the city.  The Turkmen version of 
Father Frost and his granddaughter are dressed in traditional 
Turkmen clothes, unlike the Russian Father Frost with a long 
red coat (similar to Santa Claus) and his granddaughter's 
long blue coat.  Since Turkmen independence in 1991, Ayaz 
Baba and Garpamyk have become more visible, especially in 
rural areas, but the Russian versions remain very popular. 
In Ashgabat, the Turkmen version predominates. 
¶4. (SBU) President Berdimuhamedov recently repeated his wish 
that the New Year be "elegantly" celebrated throughout the 
country, and cities throughout the country continue to don 
New Year's paraphernalia.  When former President Niyazov died 
on December 21, 2006, Berdimuhamedov ordered no break in New 
Year's festivities, despite the traditional Muslim forty days 
of mourning.  It was reported that the celebrations that year 
were unusually colorful.  During Niyazov's latter years, 
decorated trees and other New Years' paraphenalia were 
discouraged.  Turkmen generally mark the coming of the new 
year by giving gifts to family, friends, and associates.  In 
addition, many households will gather around a decorated tree 
on New Year's Eve at tables flush with food and often 
alcohol.  Some Turkmen Muslims recite traditional Islamic 
after-dinner prayers as part of their New Year's celebration, 
even if alcohol has been served. 
¶5.  (SBU) Nonetheless, some devout Muslims in Turkmenistan 
strictly avoid celebrating the holiday, condemning the New 
Year (or Christmas) tree as a non-Islamic, pagan symbol that 
is, moreover, unrelated to Jesus Christ.  In 1999, Turkmen 
Muslim cleric Hoja Ahmet Orazgylych (clerical name - 
Hojaahmet Ahun), in an interview with Radio Liberty, tried to 
discourage Turkmen from including a New Year tree in their 
New Year celebrations.  Hojaahmet was known as the last 
officially educated Ahun in Turkmenistan (a clerical rank 
similar to a professor of theology).  In 1988, he graduated 
from the only open madrassa in the former Soviet Union in 
Bukhara, Uzbekistan.  Most Soviet Turkmen clerics, in 
contrast, were self-taught and never studied or taught 
outside of Turkmenistan. 
¶6. (SBU) During his 1999 radio interview, Hojaahmet Ahun 
reportedly stated that, during twenty four years of studying 
the Quran, he never saw anything that permitted the 
celebration of the New Year.  Shortly after the interview, 
 
ASHGABAT 00001666  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
the GOTX reportedly charged Hojaahmet Ahun with fraud and 
threatened to sentence him to twenty five years in prison. 
Before a trial was held, former President Niyazov pardoned 
Hojaahmet Ahun, but exiled him to his home village of 
Gowky-Zeren in Tejen (located 230 km south of Ashgabat), 
where he reportedly remains in exile. 
¶7. (SBU) COMMENT: In the mostly Muslim country of 
Turkmenistan, the Soviet-introduced New Year holiday remains 
arguably the most celebrated holiday.  Streets in Ashgabat 
are buzzing with shoppers picking up gifts and food in order 
to welcome the New Year.  Turkemn TV is rife with scenes of 
kids in toy stores or of New Years' parties with Ayaz Baba. 
To date, the holiday remains mostly non-religious, and is 
viewed as an opportunity for families and friends to gather. 
Given that a well-known Muslim cleric remains in internal 
exile for criticizing how the New Year is celebrated, it 
seems likely that the New Year's celebrations in Turkmenistan 
are here to stay.  END COMMENT. 
CURRAN