4. Bruce Pannier, ‘‘Turkmenistan: President Reshuffles Government Once Again,’’ Radio Free
Europe /Radio Liberty, January 27, 2006, http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/1/9C5105E8
-18E7-4F3B-806A-C04A4B981234.html.
5. BBC News, ‘‘Turkmen Go Back to Old Calendar,’’ April 24, 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/
asia-pacific/7365346.stm.
6. The BBC concluded that during the last elections no opposition party participated. See Monica
Whitlock, ‘‘Turkmenistan Poll Turnout ‘Low,’ ’’ BBC News, December 20, 2004, http://news.bbc
.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4110669.stm.
7. BBC News, ‘‘New Turkmen Leader Is Inaugurated,’’ February 14, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/
2/hi/asia-pacific/6359569.stm; BBC News ‘‘Turkmenistan Takes Reformist Step,’’ September 26,
2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7638102.stm.
8. Embassy of Turkmenistan, Washington, DC, ‘‘Government and Politics,’’ http://www
.turkmenistanembassy.org/turkmen/gov/gov.html. The official data differ from outside estimations.
9. Amnesty International, ‘‘Turkmenistan: The Clampdown on Dissent and Religious Freedom
Continues,’’ May 2, 2005, http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGEUR610032005.
10. The Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic line connects Turkmenistan with Uzbekistan and Iran, but
the Turkmen-Azerbaijan segment has not yet been constructed. See Business Intelligence Service
for the Newly Independent States (BISNIS), ‘‘Turkmenistan, Overview of Fiber Optic Telecommunications Network Development,’’ May 22, 2003, http://www.bisnis.doc.gov/bisnis/bisdoc/
030523txtelecom.htm.
11. U.S. Commercial Service, ‘‘Country Commercial Guide,’’ 2000, http://www.buyusainfo.net/
info.cfm?id=93034&keyx=F5F18DBA66F19E220744BD4ECF249FD5&dbf=ccg1&loadnav=no&
archived=no&addid=.
12. Foreign companies such as Siemens and Alcatel (Germany), NEC ( Japan), and Huawei
(China) usually work as subcontractors on government-sponsored projects. See Business Intelligence Service for the Newly Independent States (BISNIS), ‘‘Turkmenistan: Overview of the
Wireless Communctions Network,’’ March, 2004, http://www.bisnis.doc.gov/bisnis/bisdoc/
040319TXWrlsComm.htm.
13. Ron Synowitz, ‘‘World: Rights Group Lists ‘Enemies of the Internet’ at UN Summit,’’ Radio
Free Europe /Radio Liberty, November 15, 2005, http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/11/
2FDBA63A-153A-4268-AF4B-E6EBCF54E9EF.html.
14. TurkmenTelecom, http://www.online.tm.
15. Newsru, ‘‘President Turkmenii Reshil Otkyt Dustup k Internetu v Kazhdom Detskom Sadu’’
[The President of Turkmenistan Decided to Provide Every Kindergarten with Internet Access],
April 15, 2008, http://www.newsru.com/world/15apr2008/turkmen.html.
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Turkmenistan
Europe /Radio Liberty, January 27, 2006, http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/1/9C5105E8
-18E7-4F3B-806A-C04A4B981234.html.
5. BBC News, ‘‘Turkmen Go Back to Old Calendar,’’ April 24, 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/
asia-pacific/7365346.stm.
6. The BBC concluded that during the last elections no opposition party participated. See Monica
Whitlock, ‘‘Turkmenistan Poll Turnout ‘Low,’ ’’ BBC News, December 20, 2004, http://news.bbc
.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4110669.stm.
7. BBC News, ‘‘New Turkmen Leader Is Inaugurated,’’ February 14, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/
2/hi/asia-pacific/6359569.stm; BBC News ‘‘Turkmenistan Takes Reformist Step,’’ September 26,
2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7638102.stm.
8. Embassy of Turkmenistan, Washington, DC, ‘‘Government and Politics,’’ http://www
.turkmenistanembassy.org/turkmen/gov/gov.html. The official data differ from outside estimations.
9. Amnesty International, ‘‘Turkmenistan: The Clampdown on Dissent and Religious Freedom
Continues,’’ May 2, 2005, http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGEUR610032005.
10. The Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic line connects Turkmenistan with Uzbekistan and Iran, but
the Turkmen-Azerbaijan segment has not yet been constructed. See Business Intelligence Service
for the Newly Independent States (BISNIS), ‘‘Turkmenistan, Overview of Fiber Optic Telecommunications Network Development,’’ May 22, 2003, http://www.bisnis.doc.gov/bisnis/bisdoc/
030523txtelecom.htm.
11. U.S. Commercial Service, ‘‘Country Commercial Guide,’’ 2000, http://www.buyusainfo.net/
info.cfm?id=93034&keyx=F5F18DBA66F19E220744BD4ECF249FD5&dbf=ccg1&loadnav=no&
archived=no&addid=.
12. Foreign companies such as Siemens and Alcatel (Germany), NEC ( Japan), and Huawei
(China) usually work as subcontractors on government-sponsored projects. See Business Intelligence Service for the Newly Independent States (BISNIS), ‘‘Turkmenistan: Overview of the
Wireless Communctions Network,’’ March, 2004, http://www.bisnis.doc.gov/bisnis/bisdoc/
040319TXWrlsComm.htm.
13. Ron Synowitz, ‘‘World: Rights Group Lists ‘Enemies of the Internet’ at UN Summit,’’ Radio
Free Europe /Radio Liberty, November 15, 2005, http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/11/
2FDBA63A-153A-4268-AF4B-E6EBCF54E9EF.html.
14. TurkmenTelecom, http://www.online.tm.
15. Newsru, ‘‘President Turkmenii Reshil Otkyt Dustup k Internetu v Kazhdom Detskom Sadu’’
[The President of Turkmenistan Decided to Provide Every Kindergarten with Internet Access],
April 15, 2008, http://www.newsru.com/world/15apr2008/turkmen.html.
246
Turkmenistan