Turkmenistan

May 2005 | Risk Summary

Turkmenistan has taken a further step towards international isolation by refusing to extend the licences of foreign postal companies. The desert republic is already one of the world's most restrictive societies, with autocratic president, Saparmurat Niyazov, replacing much education with study of his own works, closing theatres and proposing to shut hospitals. As a wave of popular uprisings sweep through the region, the government's decision to control postal traffic may be designed to close Turkmens' links to the outside world. However, Niyazov's recent surprise call for a presidential election in 2009 suggests he is trying to boost his democratic credentials.

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