OREANDA-NEWS. January 29, 2010. The military reform plays a special role in the complex of fundamental changes aimed at modernizing the Turkmen state and society. President of Turkmenistan, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov pays significant attention to its aspects including development of the ideological and conceptual principles, training of highly qualified personnel, strengthening of the military and technical base of the army, construction of the complexes with the comfortable conditions of life and service of military servants and apartment houses for their families, design and the regulations for wearing military uniform and outfit of defenders of the Motherland.


Being guided by the national interests, the status of neutrality and peaceful foreign policy Turkmenistan developed and adopted the Military Doctrine in early 2009, the ultimate goal of which is to ensure the integrity of the borders and territory of the native land and protect the peaceful, constructive labour of citizens for their happiness and wellbeing. The concept of protection of maritime borders that was framed in the Programme for the Development of the Naval Forces of Turkmenistan for the period till 2015 is built on the common platform of the Military Doctrine. As is known, it was discussed at the recent meeting of the State Security Council as well as the action plans of the Ministry of Defense and the State Border Service of Turkmenistan for implementation of this programme.

Answering the journalist’s question about the navy of the country at one of the press conferences, the President of Turkmenistan said, “We like any state with access to the sea, need ships to patrol its maritime borders, maintain the necessary level of security and prevent terrorism, to combat organized poaching and suppress the attempts to organize drug trafficking.” Noting that five Caspian littoral states negotiated on a regular basis the problems of delimitation of maritime borders, conservation of biological resources of the Caspian Sea, creation of the zone of disarmament on the sea, the Turkmen leader focused on the complicated nature of the negotiating process, however expressing belief that the Caspian Sea would turn into the sea of peace and cohesion in the future. The naval forces of Turkmenistan will serve this purpose by protecting the country’s interests on the Caspian Sea as well as contributing to achieving security and stability in the region and addressing global challenges and threats. One of the first steps was the opening of the Garabogaz customs post last year in Balkan Velayat in the northwest of Turkmenistan near the coastline of the Caspian Sea.

The comfortable conditions of service and life were created for military servants at the new frontier posts Yashlyk and Bitaparlyk. In the new towns built for military personnel President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited the barracks, household premises and canteens. Underscoring the need to create the most comfortable conditions for defenders of the Motherland, the President approved the new standards of food procurement for the national army in 2008. Modern apartment houses are built for the families of military servants. Last year the five-storey houses sprang up on Street Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Ashgabat, and the Resolution on construction of two four-storey apartment houses and improvement of the adjacent territory with playing and sports grounds in Turkmenbashi town that will be put into operation next spring has been signed recently.

Updating and modernizing military arsenal is a critical aspect of the military reform aimed at maintaining the defensive capacity of the country. New military machines, which were purchased for the national army, took part in the military parade in honour of the 18th anniversary of Turkmenistan independence. This became a demonstration of the increased strength of the Armed Forces of the country that serve exclusively peaceful purposes. Significant attention is paid to ammunition, military uniforms and equipment of various types of troops. The uniform was designed by our specialists from local materials and has the national decorative elements. Recently, the President has issued the Resolution approving the regulations for wearing the military uniform.


The modern army supplied with state-of-the-art military equipment is unthinkable without competent military professionals, who know military science and art. The major institution training professional personnel for the national army is the Military Institute in Ashgabat. The new buildings of the Institute and the Ministry of Defence of Turkmenistan and other facilities meet modern requirements and blend well with the architectural ensemble of the capital city.

Recently, we have bowed our heads before the courageous and valourous defenders of the Geoktepe fortress – a symbol of bravery and love of freedom of the Turkmen people that serves as a historical warning against the attempts to impose anybody’s will, decisions and values on the nations. Touching upon the coming 65th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the ancient traditions of the Turkmen people to honour the memory of their brave sons and daughters at the recent government meeting President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that the memorial complexes would be built in memory of Turkmen soldiers, who had perished in the war, and the victims the devastating 1948 earthquake in Ashgabat. Turkmen warriors are the successors of the heroic traditions of the ancestors, who became famous for their exploits, invincible courage and valour. Their sacred duty is to defend the native land, the peaceful life of the people. Today, the Government creates the conditions conducive to fulfilling this task through strengthening the material and technical for successful completion of this task, strengthening material-technical base of the army, improving the conditions of service and life of military servants, raising their professional skills. To defend the Fatherland is an honorable duty and awesome responsibility, and people should always respect those who stand guard over their independence and happy life.