In July 2024, journalist and human rights activist Ruslan Myatiev faced serious obstacles in his work covering events in Turkmenistan. On July 25, he arrived in Antalya with his family for a summer vacation, but instead of the long-awaited vacation, he was detained at passport control at the international airport. This was reported by the publication turkmen.news.
According to their information, Myatiev was accused of posing a threat to Turkey’s national security and was denied entry to the country. According to the journalist, the ban on his entry was initiated at the request of the Turkmen authorities due to his journalistic and human rights activities. This is confirmed by comments from Turkish security officials, who explained that Myatiev was included in the list of persons posing a threat, codenamed G-82.
“After scanning my passport, the border guard immediately picked up the phone, said my name and closed the window. I was taken to a separate room, where the police began checking my passport on the computer again. I speak Turkish and understood everything. The police mentioned that I had a G-82 code, which means “activities against national security,” says Ruslan Myatiev.
After several hours of interrogation and checks, the 38-year-old journalist was deported back to the Netherlands, where he lives and works. Myatiev is the founder and editor of the independent publication turkmen.news, which actively covers events in Turkmenistan and protects human rights.
The incident with Myatiev is not an isolated case. In November last year, a similar situation occurred with the head of the Turkmen Helsinki Foundation, Tadzhigul Begmedova, who was also assigned the G-82 code. She worked with Turkmen migrant workers and activists in Turkey before her entry ban was imposed.
Active cooperation between the national security services of Turkey and Turkmenistan began in 2020, when signs of civic activism and opposition activity began to appear among Turkmen migrants in Turkey. Migrants organized protests against the Turkmen government in Istanbul and Ankara. This was caused by the deteriorating economic situation in Turkmenistan, as well as natural disasters.
Since then, Turkish authorities have detained and extradited many activists to Turkmenistan. Some of them were physically abused by Turkmen security services in Turkey. In recent years, Turkey has become unsafe for civil society activists from Central Asia, as its cooperation with authoritarian governments in the region has intensified.
In February this year, the international human rights organization Freedom House included Turkmenistan in the top five countries that most actively persecute their dissidents abroad. This confirms suspicions about transnational repression carried out by the Turkmen authorities. Meanwhile, Ruslan Myatiev concluded that the denial of entry to Turkmen journalists and human rights activists is part of the cooperation program between Turkey and Turkmenistan. However, such actions will not stop those who fight for freedom and democracy in Turkmenistan, even if they have to do so from abroad.
