Turkmenistan
 

1855 - 1884 Turkmen Khans Flag   1869/84 - Dec 1917   30 Dec 1922 - 25 Dec 1991   27 Oct 1991 - 19 Feb 1992   19 Feb 1992 - 1 Feb 1997   1 Feb 1997 - 25 Jan 2001   Adopted 25 Jan 2001 Map of Turkmenistan Hear National Anthem "Garaşsyz, Bitarap Türkmenistanyň" (National Anthem of Independent, Neutral Turkmenistan) Adopted 15 Dec 2008  Hear 1997-2008 Anthem "Garaşsyz, Bitarap Türkmenistanyň" (National Anthem of Independent, Neutral Turkmenistan) ----------------------------------- Hear 1991-1997 Anthem "National Anthem of the Republic of Turkmenistan" Constitution (26 Sep 2008) ------------------------------------- Former Constitution (18 May 1992 - 26 Sep 2008) Capital: Ashgabat (Poltoratsk Jul 1919-1927, Ashkhabad to Jul 1919) Currency: Turkmen Manat (TMT); 1991-1993 Russian  Ruble (RUR)  National Holiday: 27 Oct (1991) Garaşsyzlyk baýramy (Independence Day) Population: 5,528,627 (2019) GDP: $103.7 billion (2017) Exports: $7.46 billion (2017) Imports: $4.57 billion (2017) Ethnic groups: Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6% (2003)  Total Active Armed Forces: 22,000 (2010) Merchant marine: 71 ships (2019) Religions: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 87.2%, Russian Orthodox 1.7%, non-religious 9%, other 2.1% (2000)  International Organizations/Treaties: ADB, APA (observer), APM, BTWC, CICA (observer), CIS (associate), CTBT, CWC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, ESCR, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, ICSID, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, Intersputnik, IOC, IOM, IPU, IRENA, ISA (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, NPT, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, OTS (observer), PFP, SCO (guest), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNFCC-KP, UNFCC-PA, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) Turkmenistan Index Chronology 1510                       Persia annexes the Merv and Akhal oases from                              Transoxiana (later Bukhara). 1790                       Bukhara re-annexes Merv. 1822                       Tekke Turkmens of Merv and Akhal under the Khivan                              rule, the western part of modern-day Turkmenistan                              remains under decreasing Persian rule (in 1836                              Persia authorized Yomud Turkmen khanate). 1855                       Tekke Turkmen tribal confederation defeat the                              Khan of Khiva at Sarahks and proclaim                              independence (Khanates of Merv Tekke and Akhal                              Tekke). 1869 - 1885                Gradually annexed by Russia (Krasnovodsk                               [Turkmenbashi] 1869, Ashkhabad 15 Jan 1881,                              Merv 31 Jan 1884, and [from Afghanistan] Kushka                              [Gushgy] 1885); formal annexation in 1873                              (notionally from Khiva), recognized by Persia                              in the 1881 Treaty of Tehran. 12 Jan 1881                Russians invade and defeat the Akhal Tekke                              Turkmens at Geok-Tepe. 18 May 1881                Transcaspian oblast (Zakaspiyskaya oblast')                              established (subject to Caucasus), from 7 Jan 1898                              within Russian Turkestan Kray (see Uzbekistan). 18 Dec 1917                Bolshevik rule in Ashkhabad, but turns into a local                              coalition of various socialist parties. 30 Apr 1918                Part of Turkestan Autonomous Socialist Soviet                               Republic (see under Uzbekistan). 14 Jul 1918                Transcaspian (Zakaspiyskaya) Oblast Provisional                              Executive Committee formed in Ashkhabad by                              anti-Bolshevik forces; in Nov 1918 it established                              the Transcaspian Oblast Provisional Government                              (as part of a federal Russian Republic). 16 Jul 1918 -  5 Apr 1919  British forces stationed in Transcaspian area                              (from 10 Apr 1919, defense and administration                              [the latter formally from 8 Aug 1919] of the area                              taken over by Denikin's ["White" Russian] Armed                              Forces in the South of Russia).  9 Jul 1919                Bolshevik forces retake Ashkhabad, and most of                                  Turkmen territory is re-incorporated into the                               Turkestan A.S.S.R. (within Russian S.F.S.R.                              [see under Uzbekistan]).  6 Feb 1920                Bolshevik forces retake Krasnovodsk.  7 Aug 1921                Transcaspian oblast renamed Turkmen oblast                              (within Turkestan A.S.S.R.) 27 Oct 1924                Turkmen Socialist Soviet Republic established as                              part of the Soviet Union. 13 May 1925                Accession to the Soviet Union confirmed by the                              Congress of Soviets of the Soviet Union (see                              under Russia).  5 Dec 1936                Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic 24 May 1990                Turkmen is designated as the state language. 22 Aug 1990                Declaration of state sovereignty. 27 Oct 1991                Turkmenistan (Türkmenistan), independence declared. 26 Dec 1991                Independence effective (dissolution of the                               U.S.S.R.). Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (1924-1991)

Khans of Yomud Turkmen (in Gasan-Kuli)
1836 - 1843                Kiyat Niyaz Khan                   (b. c.1762 - d. 1843)
1843 - af.1871             Kadyr Muhammad Khan                (b. c.1798 - d. 18..)
Khans of Merv Tekke Turkmen (in Merv)
(Tokhtamish division, the largest one having precedence over the other two)
1855 - 1878                Kouchud Khan                       (b. 1823 – d. 1878)
c.1879                     Baba Khan (1st time)               (d. af.1885)
c.1880                     Kajar Khan                         (d. af.1884)
c.1881                     Baba Khan (2nd time)               (s.a.)
Apr 1881 - 1882            Makhdum Kuli Khan                  (b. 1854 – d. 1924)
1882 - Jan 1884            Mohamed Yusuf Khan                 (b. c.1863 – d. 1919)
1882 - Jan 1884            Guljemal Khanim (f)                (b. 1836 – d. 1919)
                             (de facto regent for Mohamed Yusuf Khan)
Khans of Akhal Tekke Turkmen (in Geok-Tepe, near Ashkhabad)
1855 -  5 May 1880         Nurberdi Khan                      (b. 1830 - d. 1880)
 5 May 1880 - Jan 1881     Makhdum Kuli Khan                  (s.a.)
Heads (from 1901, Military governors) of Tanscaspian (Zakaspiyskaya) oblast
(subordinated to commanders-in-chief of Caucasus 1881-1898; from 7 Jan 1898,
to the governors-general of Russian Turkestan Kray)
18 May 1881 -  3 Apr 1883  Pyotr Fyodorovich Rerberg          (b. 1835 - d. 1912)
 3 Apr 1883 -  8 Apr 1890  Aleksandr Vissarionovich Komarov   (b. 1830 - d. 1904)
 8 Apr 1890 - 13 Jan 1898  Aleksey Nikolayevich Kuropatkin    (b. 1848 - d. 1925)
31 Oct 1898 - 1901         Andrey Andreyevich Bogolyubov      (b. 1841 - d. 1909)
23 Apr 1901 - 27 Dec 1902  Dean Ivanovich Subbotich           (b. 1852 - d. 1920)
                             (= Dejan Subotić)
27 Dec 1902 - 18 Dec 1905  Yevgeniy Yevgeniyevich Usakovskiy  (b. 1851 - d. 1935)
18 Dec 1905 - 23 Feb 1908  Vladimir Andreyevich Kosagovskiy   (b. 1857 - d. 1918)
23 Feb 1908 - 26 Dec 1910  Mikhail Dmitriyevich Yevreyinov    (b. 1851 - d. 1910)
14 Jan 1911 -  2 Nov 1912  Fyodor Aleksandrovich Shostak      (b. 1853 - d. 1912)
28 Jan 1913 - Aug 1916     Leonid Vilgelmovich Lesh           (b. 1862 - d. 1934)
Aug 1916 - 1917            Nikolay Klavdiyevich Kolmakov      (b. 1858 - d. 19..)
                             (acting)
Chairmen of the Transcaspian (Zakaspiyskaya) Oblast Provisional Executive Committee
14 Jul 1918 –  1 Jan 1919  Fyodor Andrianovich Funtikov       (b. 1875 - d. 1926)  PSR
                             (from Nov 1918, also chairman of the
                             Transcaspian Oblast Provisional Government)
Aug 1918 - Oct 1918        L. Kurylev                         (b. 18.. - d. 1919)  PSR
                             (acting for absent Funtikov)
 2 Jan 1919 - Mar 1919    (First) Transcaspian Oblast Public Safety Committee
                          [three members as recorded on 7 Jan 1919]
                           - A.G. Belov
                           - Semyon L'vovich Druzhkin         (d. 1919?)
                           - Lev Aleksandrovich Zimin         (b. 1886 - d. 1920)  PSR
Mar 1919 -  8 Aug 1919    (Second) Transcaspian Oblast Public Safety Committee
                          [three members as recorded on 5 Apr 1919]
                           - D.A. Akimov
                           - Anton Yevgrafovich Kruten'       (b. 1861 - d. 19..)  Mil
                           - Lev Aleksandrovich Zimin         (s.a.)               PSR
                           - the two below reportedly added after 5 Apr 1919 -
                           - Khadzhi Murat                    (b. 1889 - d. 1937)  Mil
                           - Oraz Serdar                      (b. 1871 - d. 1929)  Mil
Presidents
 2 Nov 1990 - 21 Dec 2006  Saparmurat Atajevich Niyazov       (b. 1940 - d. 2006) KPT;1992 TDP
                             (from 1 Oct 1993) "Türkmenbaşy"
21 Dec 2006 - 19 Mar 2022  Gurbanguly Mjalikulyyevich         (b. 1957)            TDP;2013 
                             Berdymukhammedov (from 26 Oct 2010)                   Non-party
                             "Arkadag"
                             (acting to 14 Feb 2007)
19 Mar 2022 -              Serdar Gurbangulyyevich            (b. 1981)            TDP
                             Berdymukhammedov

Chairmen of the Transcaspian Oblast Council of People's Commissars
18 Dec 1917 - 12 Jan 1918  Vladislav Nikonovich                                    RSDRP-B
12 Jan 1918 - Feb 1918     Boris Ilyich Tuzin (1st time)      (b. 1893 – d. 1918)  RSDRP-B
Feb 1918 - Apr 1918        Zinoviy Isayevich Pechatnikov      (b. 1882 – d.af.1935)PLSR
Apr 1918 - 18 May 1918     Boris Ilyich Tuzin (2nd time)      (s.a.)               RKP
                             (acting)
May 1918 - 12 Jul 1918     Vissarion Tadiozovich Teliya       (b. 18.. - d. 1918)  SSRM
Prime minister
30 Oct 1990 - 18 May 1992  Khan Akhmedovich Akhmedov          (b. 1936 - d. 2006) KPT;1991 TDP

Allied (British) Occupation 1918-1919

Commander of the British Military Mission to Turkestan (at Mashad)
16 Jul 1918 -  5 Apr 1919  Wilfrid Malleson                   (b. 1866 - d. 1946)  Mil
British Political Officer in Ashkhabad
1918 - 1919                Reginald Teague-Jones              (b. 1889 - d. 1988)  Mil
                             (= Ronald Sinclair)
 
Territorial Disputes: Cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; field demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2005; bilateral talks continue with Azerbaijan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian; a joint treaty was signed between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in 2000 recognizing the post-independence border as the official border between the two countries, ending a decade of disputes and establishing the border's current shape.

Party abbreviations: TDP = Türkmenistanyn Demokratik Partiyasy (Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, nationalist, social conservative, authoritarian, former KPT, 1992 - 26 Sep 2008 only legal party, est.16 Dec 1991);
- Former parties: RKP = Rossiyskaya Kommunisticheskaya Partiya (Bol'shevikov)(Russian Communist Party [Bolsheviks], Marxist-Leninist communist, state party, former RSDRP-B, 8 Mar 1918-31 Dec 1925, renamed All-Union Communist Party [Bolsheviks]); RSDRP-B = Rossiyskaya Sotsial-Demokraticheskaya Rabochaya Partiya (Bol'shevikov)(Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party [Bolsheviks], Marxist communist, 1 Mar 1898-8 Mar 1918, renamed RKP); PSR = Partiya Sotsialistov-Revolyutsionerov (Party of Socialists-Revolutionaries, "SRs", democratic socialist, agrarian socialist, split Aug 1917 into Left and Right wings, Jan 1902-1922); PLSR = Partiya Levykh Sotsialistov-Revolyutsionerov (Party of Left Socialist-Revolutionaries, democratic socialist, 1917–1923, split from PSR, allied with RSDRP-B/RKP), SSRM = Soyuz Sotsialistov-Revolyutsionerov-Maksimalistov (Union of Socialist-Revolutionary-Maximalists, Bolshevik-allied anarchist, 1917-1919); KPT = Türkmenistanyn Kommunistik Partiyasy/Kommunisticheskaya Partiya Turkmenistana (Communist Party of Turkmenistan, Marxist-Leninist communist, state party, former KPT-B, 13 Oct 1952-Dec 1991, renamed TDP); KPT-B = Kommunisticheskaya Partiya (Bol'shevikov) Turkmenistana (Communist Party [Bolsheviks] of Turkmenistan, Marxist-Leninist communist, state party, Oct 1924-13 Oct 1952, renamed KPT)

1926 - 1929 1929 - 2 Mar 1937 1929 - 2 Mar 1937 Variant 2 Mar 1937 - 19 Jul 1940   19 Jul 1940 - 1 Aug 1953 1 Aug 1953 - 23 Sep 1974 23 Sep 1974 - 19 Feb 1992 Capital: Ashkhbad (Poltoratsk 1924-1927) Hear SSR Anthem "Türkmenistan Sovet  Sotsialistik Respublikasy  Döwlet Gimni" (State Anthem of the Turkmen SSR) (1946-1997) Constitution (13 Apr 1978; 2 Mar 1937; 6 Oct 1926) Population: 2,949,966 (1989)

 7 Aug 1921                Transcaspian oblast renamed Turkmen oblast (Turkmenskaya oblast'),
                             within the Turkestan A.S.S.R.
27 Oct 1924                Turkmen Socialist Soviet Republic (Türkmenistan Sotsialistik
                             Sowet Respublikasy/Turkmenskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya
                             Respublika), established as part of Soviet Union.
 5 Dec 1936                Renamed Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (Türkmenistan Sowet
                             Sotsialistik Respublikasy/Turkmenskaya Sovetskaya
                             Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika).
13 May 1925                Accession to the Soviet Union confirmed by the Congress of Soviets
                             of the Soviet Union (see under Russia).
24 May 1990                Turkmen is designated as the state language.
22 Aug 1990                Declaration of state sovereignty.
27 Oct 1991                Independence declared (Turkmenistan [Türkmenistan]).

Secretaries of the Organizational Bureau of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Turkmenistan
13 Oct 1924 - 1924         Khalmurad Sakhatmuradov            (b. 1898 - d. 1938)
19 Nov 1924 - 19 Feb 1925  Ivan Ivanovich Mezhlauk            (b. 1891 - d. 1938)
First Secretaries of the Central Committee Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Turkmenistan
20 Feb 1925 - 18 Mar 1926  Ivan Ivanovich Mezhlauk            (s.a.)
Jun 1926 - Apr 1928        Shaymardan Nurimanovich Ibrahimov  (b. 1899 - d. 1957)
11 May 1928 - Aug 1930     Grigory Naumovich Aronshtam        (b. 1893 - d. 1938)
Aug 1930 - 15 Apr 1937     Yakov Abramovich Popok             (b. 1894 - d. 1938)
Apr 1937 - Oct 1937        Anna-Mukhamedov (acting)           (b. 1900 - d. 1938)
Oct 1937 - Nov 1939        Yakov Abramovich Chubin            (b. 1893 - d. 1956)
Nov 1939 - Mar 1947        Mikhail Makarovich Fonin           (b. 1905 - d. 1974)
Mar 1947 - Jul 1951        Shadzha Batyrovich Batyrov         (b. 1908 - d. 1965)
Jul 1951 - 13 Oct 1952     Sukhan Babayevich Babayev          (b. 1910 - d. 1995)
First Secretaries of the Central Committee Communist Party of Turkmenistan
13 Oct 1952 - 14 Dec 1958  Sukhan Babayevich Babayev          (s.a.)
14 Dec 1958 -  4 May 1960  Dzhuma Durdy Karayev               (b. 1910 - d. 1960)
13 Jun 1960 - 24 Dec 1969  Balysh Ovezovich Ovezov            (b. 1915 - d. 1975)
24 Dec 1969 - 21 Dec 1985  Muhammadnazar Gapurovich Gapurov   (b. 1922 - d. 1999)
21 Dec 1985 - 16 Dec 1991  Saparmurad Atayevich Niyazov       (b. 1940 - d. 2006)

Chairmen of the Turkmen Revolutionary Committee
Oct 1924 - Dec 1924        Kaikhaziz Sardarovich Atabayev     (b. 1887 - d. 1937)  KPT-B
Dec 1924 - 25 Feb 1925     Nedirbay Aytakov                   (b. 1894 - d. 1938)  KPT-B
Chairmen of the Central Executive Committee
25 Feb 1925 - 22 Jul 1937  Nedyrbay Aytakov                   (s.a.)               KPT-B
22 Jul 1937  - 4 Aug 1937  Kurbandurdy Atamuradov (acting)    (b. 1896 - d. 1972)  KPT-B
 4 Aug 1937 - 16 Oct 1937  Batyr Atayev (acting)              (b. 1901 - d. 1938)  KPT-B
16 Oct 1937 - 24 Jul 1938  Khivali Babayevich Babayev         (b. 1902 - d. 1941)  KPT-B
Chairman of the Supreme Soviet
24 Jul 1938 - 26 Jul 1938  Alla Berdy Berdiyev                (b. 1904 - d. 1964)  KPT-B
Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
26 Jul 1938 - 30 Aug 1941  Khivali Babayevich Babayev         (s.a.)               KPT-B
30 Aug 1941 -  9 Nov 1941  Ogulmurat Seytkuliyeva (f)         (b. 1911 - d. ....)  KPT-B
                           + Vasiliy Stepanovich Gunbin       (b. 1904 - d. ....)  KPT-B
                           (acting)
 9 Nov 1941 -  6 Mar 1948  Alla Berdy Berdiyev                (s.a.)               KPT-B
                             (acting to 26 Jan 1942)
 6 Mar 1948 - 30 Mar 1959  Akmamed Sariyevich Sariyev         (b. 1907 - d. ....)KPT-B;1952KPT
30 Mar 1959 - 26 Mar 1963  Nurberdy Bairamov                  (b. 1912 - d. 1986)  KPT
26 Mar 1963 - 15 Dec 1978  Annamukhamed Klychev               (b. 1912 - d. 1990)  KPT
15 Dec 1978 - 13 Aug 1988  Bally Yazkuliyevich Yazkuliyev     (b. 1930)            KPT
13 Aug 1988 - 18 Jan 1990  Roza Atamuradovna Bazarova (f)     (b. 1933)            KPT
Chairman of the Supreme Soviet
18 Jan 1990 -  2 Nov 1990  Saparmurad Atayevich Niyazov       (s.a.)               KPT

Chairmen of the Council of People's Commissars
20 Feb 1925 -  8 Jul 1937  Kaikhaziz Sardarovich Atabayev     (b. 1887 - d. 1937)  KPT-B
Oct 1937 - 17 Oct 1945     Aitbay Khudaybergenov              (b. 1906 - d. 1995)  KPT-B
17 Oct 1945 - 15 Mar 1946  Sukhan Babayevich Babayev          (s.a.)               KPT-B
Chairmen of the Council of Ministers
15 Mar 1946 - 14 Jul 1951  Sukhan Babayevich Babayev          (s.a.)               KPT-B
14 Jul 1951 - 14 Jan 1958  Balysh Ovezovich Ovezov (1st time) (s.a.)            KPT-B;1952 KPT
14 Jan 1958 - 20 Jan 1959  Dzhuma Durdy Karayev               (s.a.)               KPT
20 Jan 1959 - 13 Jun 1960  Balysh Ovezovich Ovezov (2nd time) (s.a.)               KPT
13 Jun 1960 - 26 Mar 1963  Abdy Annaliyevich Annaliyev        (b. 1920 - d. 2007)  KPT
26 Mar 1963 - 25 Dec 1969  Muhammadnazar Gapurovich Gapurov   (s.a.)               KPT
25 Dec 1969 - 17 Dec 1975  Oraz Nazarovich Orazmukhamedov     (b. 1928)            KPT
17 Dec 1975 - 15 Dec 1978  Bally Yazkuliyevich Yazkuliyev     (s.a.)               KPT
15 Dec 1978 - 26 Mar 1985  Chary Soyunovich Karryyev          (b. 1932)            KPT
26 Mar 1985 -  4 Jan 1986  Saparmurad Atayevich Niyazov       (s.a.)               KPT
 4 Jan 1986 - 17 Nov 1989  Anamurad Khodzhamuradovich         (b. 1935 - d. 2006)  KPT
                             Khodzhamuradov 
 5 Dec 1989 - 30 Oct 1990  Khan Ahmedovich Akhmedov           (b. 1936 - d. 2006)  KPT

Party abbreviations: KPT = Türkmenistanyn Kommunistik Partiyasy/Kommunisticheskaya Partiya Turkmenistana (Communist Party of Turkmenistan, Marxist-Leninist communist, state party, former KPT-B, 13 Oct 1952-Dec 1991, renamed TDP); KPT-B = Kommunisticheskaya Partiya (Bol'shevikov) Turkmenistana (Communist Party [Bolsheviks] of Turkmenistan, Marxist-Leninist communist, state party, Oct 1924-13 Oct 1952, renamed KPT)