A Turkish delegation headed by Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar visited Turkmenistan on July 31. Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received the high-ranking guest, and the talks focused on energy cooperation between the two countries, the state news agency TDH reported.
The main topic of discussion was the transportation of Turkmen gas to Turkey with its subsequent delivery to Europe. President Berdimuhamedov confirmed Turkmenistan’s readiness to continue cooperation with Turkey in the energy sector, which implies strengthening interaction in the construction of infrastructure and the launch of new energy projects.
The Turkmen side presented the guest with plans to build a combined power plant on the Caspian coast. The commissioning of this power plant, the construction of which began in the fall of 2023, will allow electricity to be exported to neighboring states and Turkey.
On the same day, the Turkish delegation held meetings with representatives of the Turkmengeology State Concern and the Ministry of Energy of Turkmenistan. The Turkish side proposed joint mining operations, including the extraction of minerals in Koytendag and rare minerals in the Gulf of Garabogaz.
However, despite the seemingly positive development, it is worth critically assessing the approach of the Turkmen authorities to economic cooperation and investment. Turkmenistan, which has significant natural gas reserves, has been facing difficulties in ensuring stable gas supplies to foreign markets for many years. Effective governance and transparency in this area remain questionable.
An important aspect is the strict control of the Turkmen government over the economy and energy resources. State monopoly and non-transparent bureaucratic processes make it difficult to attract foreign investment and reduce the efficiency of exploitation of natural resources. Constant problems with currency regulation and corruption also affect the investment climate in the country.
The political situation in Turkmenistan is particularly critical. According to Murad Kurbanov, the leader of the opposition movement “Democratic Choice of Turkmenistan”, the country is actually ruled by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and his son Serdar is just a “cover” fulfilling his father’s wishes. Kurbanov believes that under the patronage of his father, Serdar will remain in power for at least five years.
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov himself is actively promoting projects to sell primary resources such as gas, oil and metals to support the regime of Turkmenistan. He travels around the world, offering these resources to various countries, including Dubai, Russia and Turkey. Today, the regime of Turkmenistan is experiencing an acute shortage of funds, since a significant part of the budget is spent on the construction of the ghost town of Arkadag, which leads to cuts in funds for other budget items.
Kurbanov also noted that Gurbanguly is building mosques for hundreds of millions of dollars, because he believes that he will soon die, and wants to leave behind a monument in the form of the city of Arkadag and a mosque, where he intends to be buried. And so, to solve a multitude of financial problems, Alparslan Bayraktar was invited, who was offered to take any resources that Turkmenistan can export: oil, gas, electricity.
In general, the economy of Turkmenistan has become a source for supporting the economies of Turkey, China, Iran and other countries. Most of the country’s exports are based on raw materials, which leaves the domestic economy dependent on foreign markets. Kurbanov emphasizes that Gurbanguly uses the country’s raw material wealth for personal enrichment, without asking the opinion of the Turkmen people. But it should be the other way around. The very idea of cooperation between Turkmenistan and Turkey in the energy sector has significant potential, but its implementation requires radical reforms within Turkmenistan. And they must begin with the highest branch of power.
