Country name
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Turkmenistan
local long form:
none
local short form:
Turkmenistan
former:
Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code
TX
Government type
republic
National capital
Ashgabat
Administrative divisions
5 welayatlar (singular - welayat): Ahal Welayaty (Ashgabat), BalkanWelayaty (Nebitdag), Dashhowuz Welayaty (formerly Tashauz), Lebap Welayaty (Charjew), Mary Welayaty
note :
administrative divisions have the same names as their administrativecenters (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Independence
27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday
Independence Day, 27 October (1991)
Constitution
adopted 18 May 1992
Legal system
based on civil law system
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state:
President and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Saparmurat NIYAZOV(since 27 October 1990, when the first direct presidential election occurred);note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government:
President and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Saparmurat NIYAZOV;note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; DeputyChairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers Mukhamed ABALAKOV (since NA), BabamuradBAZAROV (since NA), Dadebaya ANNAGELDIYEV (since NA), Orazgeldy AYDOGDYYEV(since NA), Hudaayguly HALYKOV (since NA), Aleksandr DADONOV (since NA), PirkulyODEYEV (since NA), Rejep SAPAROV (since NA), Boris SHIKHMURADOV (since NA),Batyr SARJAYEV (since NA), Ilaman SHYKHYYEV (since NA)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president
note:
NIYAZOV has been asked by various local groups, most recently on 26October 1995 at the annual elders meeting, to be "president for life," buthe has declined, saying the status would require an amendment to the constitution
elections :
president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election lastheld 21 June 1992 (next to be held NA 2002; note - extension of PresidentNIYAZOV's term for an additional five years overwhelmingly approved - 99.9%of total vote in favor - by national referendum held 15 January 1994); deputychairmen of the cabinet of ministers are appointed by the president
election results:
Saparmurad NIYAZOV elected president without opposition; percent ofvote - Saparmurad NIYAZOV 99.5%
Legislative branch
under the 1992 constitution, there are two parliamentary bodies, a unicameralPeople's Council or Halk Maslahaty (more than 100 seats, some of which arepopularly elected and some are appointed; meets infrequently) and a unicameralAssembly or Majlis (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to servefive-year terms)
elections :
People's Council - no elections; Assembly - last held 11 December 1994(next to be held NA 1999)
election results:
Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DemocraticParty 45, other 5; note - all 50 preapproved by President NIYAZOV
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders
Democratic Party of Turkmenistan [Saparmurat NIYAZOV]; Party for DemocraticDevelopment [Durdymurat HOJA-MUHAMEDOV, chairman]; Agzybirlik [Nurberdy NURMAMEDOV,cochairman, Hubayberdi HALLIYEV, cochairman]
note:
formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small oppositionmovements exist underground or in foreign countries
International organization participation
CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NACC, NAM,OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO(observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission:
Ambassador Halil UGUR
chancery:
2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 588-1500
FAX :
[1] (202) 588-0697
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission:
Ambassador Michael W. COTTER
embassy :
9 Pushkin Street, Ashgabat
mailing address:
use embassy street address
telephone:
[9] (9312) 35-00-45, 35-00-46, 35-00-42, Tie Line [8] 962-0000
FAX:
[9] (9312) 51-13-05
Flag description
green field, including a vertical stripe on the hoist side, with a claretvertical stripe in between containing five white, black, and orange carpet guls (an asymmetrical design used in producing rugs) associated with fivedifferent tribes; a white crescent and five white stars in the upper leftcorner to the right of the carpet guls
NOTE: The information regarding Turkmenistan on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Turkmenistan Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Turkmenistan Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.
