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Turkmenistan, formerly known as the Turkmen
Soviet Socialist Republic, is a country in
Central Asia. It has borders with Afghanistan,
Iran (Persia), Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and has no
coastline but is adjacent to the Caspian Sea.
History
Main article: History of Turkmenistan
The territory of Turkmenistan has a long and
chequered history, as armies from one empire to
another decamped on their way to more prosperous
territories.
Alexander the Great conquered the territory in
the 4th century B.C. on his way to India. One
hundred and fifty years later Persia's Parthian
Kingdom established its capital in Nisa, an area
now located in the suburbs of the modern-day
capital of Ashgabat. In the 7th century A.D.
Arabs conquered this region, bringing with them
Islam and incorporating the Turkmen into Middle
Eastern culture. It was around this time that
the famous Silk Road was established as a major
trading route between Asia and Europe.
The Turkmenistan region soon came to be known as
the capital of Greater Khorasan when the caliph
Al-Ma'mun moved his capital to Merv.
In the middle of the 11th century, the powerful
Turks of the Seljuk Empire concentrated their
strength in the territory of Turkmenistan in an
attempt to expand into Afghanistan. The empire
broke down in the second half of the 12th
century, and the Turkmen lost their independence
when Genghis Khan took control of the eastern
Caspian Sea region on his march west. For the
next seven centuries, the Turkmen people lived
under various empires and fought constant
intertribal wars.
By 1894 imperial Russia had taken control of
Turkmenistan. The October Revolution of 1917 in
Russia and subsequent political unrest led to
the declaration of the Turkmen Republic as one
of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union in 1924.
At this time the modern borders of Turkmenistan
were formed.
In 1991, with the breakup of the Soviet Union,
Turkmenistan became independent. The former
Communist leader, Saparmurat Niyazov, remains in
power.
Human rights
Main article: Human rights in Turkmenistan
Human rights issues in Turkmenistan, an
authoritarian state, include freedom of religion
issues. According to Forum 18, despite
international pressure, the authorities keep a
very close eye on all religious groups and the
legal framework is so constrictive that many
prefer to exist underground rather than have to
pass through all the official processes, which
act as barriers. Protestant Christian adherents
are affected, in addition to groups such as
Jehovah's Witnesses and Hare Krishna. The Hare
Krishna are not allowed to seek donations at the
country's main airport, the Turkmenbashi Flying
Aeroplane Station.
According to the 2005 Reporters Without Borders
World Press Freedom Index, Turkmenistan had the
3rd worst press freedom conditions in the world.
No one is allowed to describe the President or
his family negatively. Also, no reporters are
permitted to mention that the President is a
very short man (barely over 5 feet), or that he
wears a toupee.
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