[Music] in 2018 a little known Republic nestled deep in the heart of Central Asia devised what appeared to be a brilliant strategy to Halt the widespread Exodus of skilled and educated workers a challenge that afflicts many developing nations worldwide its solution was straightforward it simply stopped allowing anyone to leave effectively transforming the entire country into a virtual prison twice the size of the United Kingdom in indeed Turkmenistan touts itself as a nation of pragmatic solutions that same year then president birie mammadov attributing bad luck to the presence of black cars banned their importation soon citizens
across the country began waking up to find that their cars had vanished overnight having been towed Away by the authorities to get them back owners were forced to pay for a repaint often at unaffordable prices before long this unusual mandate was extended to include all colored cars hence should you ever find yourself scanning satellite images of turkistan you'll be met with a monochromatic sea of white Vehicles which just so happens to be the former president's favorite color but birdie Muhammad's eccentricities pale in comparison to his predecessor niazov self-titled as his Excellency the great leader of
the turkman and God's profit on Earth in a grandio display of concern for his nation's Health niazov carved a colossal 37 km staircase into the copet dag mountain range he mandated that politicians climate yearly in a so-called Health walk while he watched from above in a helicopter before chastising them at the finish line for their slow pace the array of bewildering decrees issued by turkmenistan's leaders appears Limitless days of the week months of the year breeds of horses and even craters on the moon have been personally renamed to the preferences of whichever leader is in
charge of the time at one point niazov literally renamed bread after his mother another bizarre incident saw him advise citizens to chew on Bones to enhance Dental Health citing the absence of dogs in dental offices as his justification dogs however have become scarce in the capital on account of them being banned for their quote unappealing odor this prohibition is just one of many in a Relentless series of efforts over the last three decades aimed at transforming the capital city into an Immaculate pristine and Grand Vision of a dictator's personal Paradise vast neighborhoods have been reduced
to rubel to make way for a breathtaking number of skyscrapers monuments Parks stadiums and palaces each crafted from impeccable Italian marble and then lined with gold so much marble has been used to build the city that earned it a Guinness World Record along with the largest indoor pool the largest indoor Ferris wheel the largest architectural star and the most Fountain pools in a public space an irony given the country's severe water scarcity but beyond the Grandeur of its gleaming Marble City and the often comical antics of its leaders little about Turkmenistan is amusing for those
forced to live within its borders in August 2023 a distressing scene unfolded in the extensive cotton fields of turkmenistan's laab Province beneath the sweltering heat exceeding 104° F tens of thousands toiled tirelessly by hand to gather the annual cotton Harvest while the sight of diligent laborers in Cotton Fields is not by itself unusual the composition of this Workforce was anything but ordinary instead of seasonal agricultural workers this vast sea of Labor comprised teachers doctors lawyers flight attendants state workers and even school children none of whom were there by choice or paid under a presidential decree
both state agencies and private companies forced half of their staff to pick cotton during the week with full part participation required on weekends facing the risk of public humiliation and job loss a daunting Prospect in a country with a staggering 70% unemployment rate workers reluctantly complied as they struggled to meet their daily cotton quota of 55 lounds ever since gaining independence from the Soviet Union turkmenistan's leaders have painstakingly reinstated stalinist rule today the country stands as one of the last true totalitarian dictatorships secret police resort to torture and use psychotropic drugs against political opponents those
perceived as enemies of the state are publicly paraded on live television coerced into confessions and forced to beg for mercy to spare their families from similar Fates afterwards they vanish Without a Trace mere criticism of the government in any form is deemed treasonous often resulting in lengthy prison sentences confinement to psychiatric facilities or exile to the desolate Salt Flats by the Caspian Sea the level of repression is so extreme that last year Turkmenistan was ranked as the second worst country in the world for Freedom a position even lower than Taliban controlled Afghanistan war torn arria
and the infamous North Korea but with the transition of power from birdie mamadov to his son in 2022 marking Central Asia's first hereditary secession since the era of the cons hope for improvement in the near future has all but been extinguished it's hardly surprising then that many are desperate to leave in search of a better life elsewhere assuming the government does not successfully stop them first but how did Turkmenistan become such a dystopian Nightmare how do its leaders maintain such an absolute grip on Power and where does the seemingly endless supply of money that sustains
the regime come from this is a story of turkistan the strangest dictatorship in the world [Music] today's video is sponsored by War Thunder the unrivaled king of vehicle combat gaming with an expanded Arsenal boasting over 25 200 planes tanks ships and helicopters representing 10 major Nations every model is a masterpiece of detail from its engine to the last rivet and if you're anything like me you'll find yourself completely absorbed by the authentic sounds hyperrealistic graphics and a comprehensive technological Journey from the 1920s all the way to Modern Warfare for enthus iast of military history there's
simply no better game out there so dive into the action with me and 70 million others today on PC PlayStation 4 and 5 or Xbox One and Xbox series X and S absolutely free by clicking my exclusive Link in the description below whether you're signing up for the first time or returning after a Hiatus of at least 6 months you'll unlock a massive welcome package including premium Vehicles a one-of-a-kind 3D vehicle decorator 100,000 silver lions and an upgraded account but don't delay this is a limited time offer on September 9th 1879 Russian military forces began
a severe bombardment of giak teepe a city encircled by a formidable wall made out of mud 18 ft thick and 10 ft tall Sheltering 40,000 turkmen despite their technological advantages the Russian troops Limited in number in supplies suffered heavy losses in their frontal assault on the city forcing a strategic Retreat to their base on the Caspian Sea driven by objectives to secure its Southern frontier Advance its economic interests and enhance its Global stature Russia have been gradually expanding its dominion over Central Asia but the humiliating defeat at giok Tepe marked Russia's first major setback in
its Imperial goals in 164 years located at the southern Fringe of Cal Asia giok teepe was located in what is today modern Turkmenistan the area was primarily inhabited by nomadic tribes who roamed the extensive caracum Desert subsisting on livestock hurting and raiding passing trade Caravans despite the harshness of their existence these tribes earned a reputation for their Fierce resistance to external powers and their involvement in the slave trade a brutal reality that some of the encroaching Russians experienced firsthand recognizing gak Tee's strategic importance for Conquering the rest of the region Russia began a more calculated
second Attack 2 years after their initial defeat on January 12th 1881 they detonated a tunnel packed with thousands of kilog of explosives beneath the city's wall this created a 140t wide breach in the city's defenses enabling Russian forces to flood in following a ruthless Massacre of the city's residents the rest of Central Asia soon fell to the thear over the next four decades Russia made little effort to assimilate the region or its inhabitants into the Empire although railroads expanded and new cities like ashkabad emerged spurred by an influx of Russian migrants the Region's predominantly desert
terrain making up 90% of its geography hindered any real development by the eve of World War I the industrial sector remained modest comprising only a few cotton gens leather processing facilities and a single steam engine manufacturing plant by 1916 amid the escalating challenges of a war turning against him Zar Nicholas II made the controversial decision to conscript turkistani Muslims who had until then been exempt from military service this decision combined with a corrupt and oppressive local government ignited widespread revolts across Central Asia further fueled by the Russian Revolution the following year for 8 years the
region was engulfed in severe turmoil featuring a mix of warfare Revolution famine and devastating reforms eventually the Soviet Union emerged From the Ashes of the Russian Empire forcefully bringing Central Asia along in its socialist transformation by 1924 the last major remnants of resistance had been crushed and Central Asia was reorganized into distinct ethnonational political entities among these the turkman Soviet Socialist Republic was formally established in line with the sweeping changes occurring across R the union the state confiscated all land and forcibly integrated the nomadic population into state run and Collective Farms concurrently the government introduced
a standardized turkman written language and established numerous publishing houses and schools these initiatives were designed to boost literacy rates reduce intertribal conflicts and align the population with Soviet ideals these measures together with the violent suppression of political descent transformed Turkmenistan into a docile isolated and largely overlooked Republic within the Soviet sphere despite this several key developments heavily influenced its evolving character the first of these occurred during the second world war as German armies captured significant parts of the Soviet Union's industrial Heartland many industries were relocated to safer locations including Central Asia Turkmenistan received two oil
processing plants from azerbijan a metal processing plant from Southern Russia and approximately two dozen textile plants however due to limited infrastructure and an underdeveloped energy sector these developments were relatively modest compared to the other republics following the war turkistan remained under industrialized due to a policy of regionalization this policy allocated distinct economic roles to each Republic based on their unique resources geographical advantages and Workforce capabilities all aimed at enhancing the Soviet Union's Collective economic performance more importantly though it deliberately made each Republic economically dependent on the rest of the Union thereby reinforcing centralized control while
turkmenistan's harsh natural conditions were generally unfavorable for many types of economic activities they were uniquely suited for the cultivation of cotton a commodity in which the Soviets were determined to achieve self-sufficiency however the country's lack of significant water seemed to make the dream of transforming Turkmenistan into a cotton power house unobtainable that changed when Soviet planners designed what would become one of the largest canals in history construction of the caracum canal began in 1954 and by 1967 it was channeling 3.2 cubic miles of water annually from the amudarya river almost to the Caspian Sea tripling
the Republic's arable land in its cotton production cotton harvests eventually became so immense it led to the use of forced in child labor to compensate for the Republic's limited Workforce by 1988 children were missing up to 68 school days a year to work in the cotton fields due to the policy of regionalization 97% of the cotton was then shipped directly to Russia for processing which left Turkmenistan excluded from the industry's value added benefits and employment opportunities a similar pattern emerged with the surprising discovery and exploitation of turkmenistan's most vital resource n natural gas the first
deposits were initially found in the 1930s but it was not until the 1960s that the Republic's truly enormous reserves were confirmed with an estimated 50 trillion cubic met of natural gas Turkmenistan found itself holding the fourth largest reserves in the world and the second highest on a per capita basis by the mid 1980s production had soared to 72 billion cubic M annually second only to Russia itself just as with cotton all of turkmenistan's natural gas was transported to Russia for processing three a single pipeline consistent with the Soviet strategy of subsidizing its economy with artificially
low priced energy turkistan received only six copcs per thousand cubic meters of gas a rate that was 300 times less than global market prices in effect Turkmenistan was essentially being stripped of its natural wealth for the benefit of the other republics as a result by the late 19 80s turkmenistan's per capita income stood at only 70% of the Soviet average with most of the population living below the official poverty line although social indicators had improved from the pre-soviet ERA with notable successes such as achieving full literacy the Republic still suffered from low life expectancy and
the highest infant mortality rate in the union further complicating the picture though was the leadership's tendency to inflate these figures to enhance their stat status within the Communist party this malpractice led to the removal of turkmenistan's first secretary in favor of sapura niazov amid a 1985 anti-corruption Crackdown born in 1940 in a small Village near ashcat niazov was orphaned after the second world war claimed his father and a devastating earthquake took his mother and two brothers 6 years later raised by a distant relative niazov excelled academically pursued electrical engineering and joined the Communist Party in
1962 he quickly Rose through its ranks supported by his affiliation with the te the Republic's dominant tribe upon becoming first Secretary of Turkmenistan niazov transformed the turkman Communist Party into one of the most rigid and conservative factions within the Soviet Union confronted with widespread shortages economic stagnation and social reforms that spurred turmoil in other republics niazov gained notoriety for his ruthless oppression of any unrest despite these conditions resistance within Turkmenistan was surprisingly minimal due in part to the predominantly Rural and agricultural nature of its populace shaped by Decades of Soviet influence a dee rooted conservatism
fostered a culture of acquiescence to Authority additionally turkmenistan's lack of history as an independent nation state prior to its incorporation into the Russian Empire meant there were few nationalistic impulses to fued descent combined with fears of economic collapse these factors United the population and leadership in their support for maintaining the union and their place within it therefore by the early 1990s Turkmenistan remained largely insulated from the sweeping political and economic reforms affecting the other republics however as the Soviet Union began to unravel in 1991 Turkmenistan was reluctantly pushed toward Independence officially declaring its sovereignty on
October 27th 1991 on the day Turkmenistan marked its independence the nation also witnessed its inaugural presidential election where niazov clinched 98.3% of the vote an unsurprising outcome given he was the only candidate 2 months later the Communist Party of Turkmenistan formally disbanded but this move was merely symbolic the party simply renamed itself the Democratic party of Turkmenistan undergoing minimal actual change as president of the newly independent nation niazov maintained Soviet era control mechanisms While most former Soviet republics were embracing major reforms under his leadership the economy was kept under total government oversight with Comprehensive controls
over prices wages exchange rates and international trade by May of 1992 under niaz's directive Turkmenistan adopted a new constitution ostensibly it it established a presidential Republic with checks and balances and guaranteed freedoms of religion expression and property in reality however it cemented NASA's complete authority over all aspects of turkman society leveraging his Monopoly over broadcast media and the Press they were transformed into the official mouthpiece of the turkman bosi a term translating to the great leader of the turkman which niazov had adopted as his new title as cities geographical landmarks and infrastructure were renamed in
honor of the turkman Bashi a widespread Cult of Personality began to take shape when confronted with comparisons to Stalin niazov remarked but Stalin achieved his personality cult through repressive measures whereas I achieved my popularity without conflicts alternative parties were banned as soon as they met membership criteria political opponents were eliminated by the secret police and external information sources were banned or heavily censored systematically isolating the population from the outside world neov Justified these actions by arguing that economic stability must precede political diversity to prevent descending into Anarchy he claimed that with a decade of his
leadership Turkmenistan would avoid such a fate and enter an economic Golden Age his plan for doing so was straightforward with complete control over the world's fourth largest natural gas reserves in the ability to sell it at prices 300 times higher than during the Soviet era niazov could appease turkmenistan's modest population of 4 million by offering free gas electricity water and heavily subsidized food at the same time he could enrich himself in the political Elite while maintaining an extensive security and propaganda apparatus to ensure his continued rule but despite NASA's optimistic plans turkmenistan's economy was entering
a death spiral over six Relentless years the nation's economic output dwindled to less than half of its 1991 level the fundamental issue facing Turkmenistan was the mismatch between its political Independence and its economic autonomy stemming from the Soviet policy of regionalization the country lacked the capacity to refine its raw resources and the infrastructure to sell its goods outside of Russia this economic isolation is highlighted by the lack of even a Railway link to neighboring Iran despite its lands being just 15 mi from ashat consequently turkman gas and cotton could only be transported sold and processed
through Russia amid these constraints Russia exploited turkmenistan's dependency by purchasing these Commodities at significantly lower prices than those on the international market paying with hard currency for only 50% of this already reduced value the remainder was frequently paid in Goods such as grain and sometimes not at all to further enhance its profit margins gazprom Russia's state-owned energy Giant and the exclusive buyer of turkman gas strategically limited its purchases to 11 billion cubic m per year merely an eighth of turkmenistan's pre-independence production levels in 1997 the situation became dire as former Soviet republics grappling with financial
constraints halted their gas payments entirely confr Ed with outstanding payments amounting to a staggering 80% of its GDP turkistan ceased gas exports entirely meanwhile cotton production suffered a catastrophic 50% decline the lack of hard currency severely restricted the import of essential supplies like fertilizers tractors and cotton picking machines crippling the agricultural sector this crisis was exacerbated by NASA's policy of making water free for Citizens and farmers which removed incentives for its efficient use leading to severe water shortages and a 43% drop in output per acre over 7 years with both of its key Industries and
ruins the population's living standards began to deteriorate threatening the stability of the regime but the solution to these challenges was surprisingly simple the country needed access to global markets by building alternative natural gas pipelines and railroads to bypass Russia's monopsony a monopoly on the demand side of a market developing such infrastructure would bring in a surge of hard currency which could then be strategically used to address input shortages and establish value added Industries for its raw resources in 1996 the first rail connection with Iran was established providing access to the Persian Gulf the following year
a 125 M pipeline was built to connect turkmenistan's gas fields to Iran's remote Northeast despite its modest annual capacity of 4 billion cubic M actual exports seldom reached even a third of this capacity also hindered by Iran's ability to make payments building on these initial developments a more ambitious proposal surfaced a pipeline intended to transport 33 billion cubic of gas over 1,000 Mi to Pakistan and India but the routs need to Traverse Taliban controlled Afghanistan ultimately made the project un feasible a more promising proposal was the trans Caspian pipeline intended to transport gas beneath the
Caspian Sea through azerbijan and Georgia to Turkey and onward to Western Europe yet Maritime disputes with azerbijan stalled negotiations over Transit fees and financing issues indefinitely postponed the project despite these setbacks the discussions led to significant diplomatic outcomes including a meeting between niazov and US President Bill Clinton these talks focused on energy deals and strategies for accessing Global markets without depending on routes through Iran or Russia although these plans faltered as well they were enough to compel Russia to sign a far more favorable gas agreement with turkistan driven by concerns over losing its influence over
the country and the broader region as the volume and value of gas exports to Russia skyrocketed turkmenistan's persistent trade deficit turned into a surplus by the year 2000 this turnaround was complemented by efforts to construct modern textile factories repurpose farmland for domestic food production and renovate an old Soviet oil refinery these initiatives collectively fueled an enormous economic boom positioning Turkmenistan is one of the fastest growing economies on the planet as the new century dawned niazov would leverage these surging revenues and his extraordinary political strength to usher in his own personal Utopia on December 28th 1999
a newly elected Parliament composed solely of candidates handpicked by niazov bestowed upon him the title of president for Life liberated from the need to even fake Fair elections niazov began to fully act upon his grandiose delusions assuming the role of spiritual and cultural Arbiter of the turkman nation niav baned ballets operas beards and Cinemas for being insufficiently turkman and closed all schools offering education in foreign languages additionally he demanded that all state employees proved turkman racial Purity traceable back three generations prompting a mass Exodus of the highly skilled Russian population following a personal health scare
involving heart issues NZ off banned public smoking and constructed the infamous 37 km walk of Health mandating that turkman citizens and politicians complet it annually in 2001 he introduced his 400 page Rama a pseudo National Bible that emphasized turkman nationalism within its Pages niazov was depicted as a Godlike figure who saved the nation from Soviet imperialism and was destined to usher in an era of prosperity initially dominating the shelves of bookstores and the desks of State offices the Rama soon became required in mosques and churches placed alongside every Cor and Bible its teachings were then
integrated into the National Education System becoming not just required reading but the central component of the curriculum prisoners were forced to swear an oath on it for release doctors had to pledge their allegiance to it and drivers teachers and civil servants were forced to pass examinations on its content those caught criticizing the book even privately faced up to 5 years in prison as niaz's assertions about the Rama grew increasingly bizarre he declared that reading the book three times would guarantee entry into heaven then in a symbolic gesture of its supposed Universal significance a copy of
the Rama was even launched into orbit intended to quote conquer space the book thus became the Lynch pin of a now perfected brainwashing apparatus across radio television and the newspapers the turkman Bashi his family background and his various supposed achievements were incessantly praised every broadcast began with an ominous pledge that the broadcaster's tongue will shrivel if he Slanders the country flag or president The Cult of Personality surrounding niazov reached such extremes that days months and even bread were renamed in honor of him his mother the Rama and other symbols of turkman nationalism His Image saturated
public and private spaces alike displayed in enormous portraits and statues across the country and on every bank note coin and postage stamp even airplane cabins and passenger trains were required to feature his portrait ensuring a constant omnipresent reminder of his rule but NZ off's most ambitious Endeavor was the transformation of ashat into a testament of his wealth and power ignoring the potential for these vast gas revenues to improve the general welfare he chose instead to import Italian marble for the construction of lavish monuments gigantic mosques Luxury Apartments in Gold doed palaces for himself additionally billions
were blown on seemingly Whimsical projects like an enormous desert lake that quickly evaporated extravagant Fountain displays zoos with arctic animals and a towering 200t tall Arch topped with a gold statue of himself that rotates with the sun in a striking example of excess the city's Main Avenue is lined with 22 five-star hotels in a country that rarely allows visitors to accommodate these Prestige projects entire neighborhoods were demolished often without offering compensation or adequate alternative housing to the displaced residents hidden behind the unaffordable marble Apartments growing slums were filled with windowless single room homes some crudely
fashioned from Old Railway containers that baked during the scorching Summers many inhabitant of these areas succumbed to Opium addiction a situation worsened by the unchecked influence of drugs from neighboring Afghanistan in rural areas remnants of Soviet era policies persisted with forced in child labor still prevalent in the cotton fields creating a stark contrast between the opulent displays of wealth and the harsh realities faced by the general population but resistance to nv's regime from the general population remained virtually non-existent despite the widespread unemployment and low wages that plagued the economy free gas electricity and water along
with heavily subsidized prices for food and other Essentials helped to quell discontent this coupled with Relentless propaganda and a pervasive climate of fear effectively stifled any Grassroots opposition but the situation escalated dramatically on the morning of November 25th 2002 when NASA's motorcade was ambushed leading to a deadly shootout this failed assassination and coup attempt triggered a sweeping Purge of political Elite and citizens alike hundreds of individuals and their families were subjected to show trials received lengthy prison sentences and subsequently vanished Without a Trace in an atmosphere thick with paranoia informers were recruited to EAS drop
on private conversations psychotropic drugs were used to torture detainees and roadblocks were established every few miles as a permanent measure car radios were banned to reduce background noise during surveillance and all public gatherings including weddings and funerals now needed government approval further restrictions limited citizens ability to leave the country notably prohibiting women under 35 from traveling abroad unless they had two children framed as a duty to perpetuate the turkman ray with his death in 2006 niazov Left Behind one of the most repressive totalitarian regimes on the planet citizens had virtually no rights the average monthly
income was a mere $60 in the few positive legacies of the Soviet era Healthcare and education had all but been dismantled across the country all hospitals kindergartens and libraries outside of the capital were shut down thousands of healthcare workers were replaced with untrained military personnel the mandatory years of schooling were reduced and hundreds of thousands had their pensions cancelled or dramatically cut as these measures plunged the population deeper into poverty reports indicated that a sign significant portion of turkmenistan's annual gas revenues estimated at nearly $2 billion were being diverted into the personal offshore accounts owned
by the president despite leaving behind a substantial and potentially explosive power vacuum having not named a successor to his all-encompassing Cult of Personality there was a sense of cautious optimism upon NZ off's death this wasn't due to confidence in whoever would come next but rather from the Stark recognition that circum ances could hardly get any worse on December 21st 2006 gerbin ghouly birie mammadov was appointed acting president a decision that took Everyone by surprise according to the Constitution this role should have been filled by OES geli ATV the chairman of the people's Council however ATV
was quickly disqualified following a sudden and suspicious criminal investigation that led to his imprisonment birdie who had previously served as naaz off's personal dentist had risen through the ranks of the political hierarchy to become the deputy chairman of the cabinet of ministers where he was involved in dismantling the free health care system while there were rumors that birdie might be neaz off's IL legitimate son it is more likely that he was chosen by the elite as a safe candidate who could maintain the status quo and ensure a smooth transition of power in 2007 birdie was
elected president in an election widely regarded as rich red flouting constitutional rules that barred the acting president from running inheriting the same absolute power as his predecessor birdie quickly began to reverse many of nv's most extreme decrees ushering in what he termed the era of New Renaissance he reinstated pensions sickness and maternity benefits and lifted bands on Opera Cinema and ballet he also reopened hospitals in the provincial areas and restored the original number of mandatory school years additionally he reversed many of nz's controversial renamings including those of days and months the runam was phased out
from public and educational spheres and most of the portraits and statues of niazov were removed however these symbols of the past leader were gradually replaced with images and writings of Birdie as he began to cultivate his own cult of personality but the most important early development in Bird's Reign was the construction of a new gas pipeline into 2009 spanning well over 8,000 Mi this Pipeline traversed usbekistan and Kazakhstan ultimately reaching China by 2015 two additional pipelines were completed to China collectively boasting a capacity of 55 billion cubic met annually surpassing any volume previously imported by
Russia this new connection to the Chinese market proved crucial for Turkmenistan when in 2009 a combination of a Russian Pipeline explosion and a sharp decline in European demand due to the financial crisis LED Russia to significantly reduce both the volume and price of the turkman gas it purchased this reduction swiftly strained relations leading to a rapid deterioration in the trade relationship between the two countries by 2015 China was purchasing 95% of turkmenistan's gas exports from 2007 to 2014 the shift in trade Partners significantly boosted turkmenistan's economy which grew by a staggering 19% annually the economy
more than tripled in size with annual revenues from gas exports alone approaching $10 billion these revenues bolstered by additional Chinese financing enabled birdie to follow inaz off's footsteps blowing money on marble Prestige projects diverting funds into his private accounts and implementing bizarre policies this included a ban on satellite dishes and air condition conditioners in the capital because birdie deemed them ugly while he commissioned the construction of more monuments personal palaces and gold statues depicting himself his horses and his dogs he also launched the development of the avaza tourist Zone on the Caspian Sea envisioned as
a turkman version of Las Vegas this ambitious project included casinos Resorts convention centers Sports complexes and water parks all of course made out of marble a additionally he oversaw the construction of a new $2.3 billion airport shaped like a falcon designed to accommodate 14 million passengers annually as part of his plan to diversify into the tourism industry he did not however make it easier for tourists to enter the country only 10,000 people are allowed in each year most of whom are oil and gas experts in 2012 claiming to usher in the era of Might and
happiness he was reelected with an implausibly high 97% of the vote but turkmenistan's excessive Reliance on gas revenues quickly ushered in a period of shortages and stagnation instead the impact of the Shale revolution in the United States coupled with OPEC strategy to increase energy production to defend its market share caused oil and gas prices to plummet turkmenistan's exports haved wiping out a fifth of its economy a budget surplus of 10% of GDP quickly turned turned into a 3% deficit severely restricting the government's ability to import essential Goods this drastic economic downturn resulted in widespread shortages
of basic necessities such as flour cooking oil and sugar causing rationing and Rising instances of starvation furthermore Mass layoffs in state-owned Industries propelled the unemployment rate to an alarming 70% in response to this crisis the government permanently revoked citizens free access to Essentials and resorted to stealing funds from the population for 6 months in 2017 20% of monthly salaries from employees in the oil and gas sector were deducted to finance the hosting of the Asian indoor and martial arts games in 2021 School administrations went as far as forcing orphans to redirect state provided funds intended
for their personal support to pay for school Renovations moreover the practice of forcing tens of thousands of students and workers to participate in unpaid cotton harvesting has continued unabated persisting even today during Bird's tenure there were no notable advances in political and social freedoms the government contined to suppress or forcibly disappear political dissidence and regular purges were conducted to eliminate perceived threats within the party access to external information was further restricted travel constraints were tightened to stem the outpouring of skilled workers and Corruption ran rampant by 2018 it was reported that officials had accumulated $23
billion in offshore accounts contrary to the prevailing belief that birdie would remain in power until his death he surprisingly stepped down from his leadership position in 2022 this move cleared the path for his son SAR to successfully Run for the presidency securing a 73% majority in an election widely regarded as predetermined pledging to uphold his father's policies sar's Reign began on strong footing propelled by geopolitical tensions in China's emergence from lockdowns natural gas prices and revenues began to Surge once again but sar's leadership was short-lived doubts about his ability to steer the nation through a
period of renewed interest in its gas resources began to emerge among the turkman elite including his father just 11 months after stepping down as president Bird's role as chairman of the Upper House of Parliament was elevated to the national leader of the turkman people superseding his son's Authority and dampening hopes for real change from its early days as a land of Nomads wandering the desert through its forceful incorporation into the Russian and then Soviet Empires and into an era where its dictators have full Reign to indulge in their marble in Gold infused Illusions Turkmenistan has
endured a history marked by external domination and internal repression as long as the global demand for the country's vast hydrocarbon resources continues and the government maintains absolute control over its production significant improvements in the lives of the people seem Out Of Reach This strangle hold on the industry enables the government to comfortably sustain its self-serving regime using its revenues to fund extensive security and propaganda efforts that effectively suppress any meaningful opposition the absence of pressure whether from within the government at the Grassroots level or from the International Community suggests that economic and political liberalization crucial
for improving the lives of the population is unlikely to occur anytime soon thus it appears Turkmenistan is poised to remain one of the world's last totalitarian regimes possibly even the last don't miss out on War Thunder the definitive vehicle combat experience on PC PlayStation 4 and 5 and Xbox One an Xbox series X and S play for free today by clicking my link in the description below and unlock your exclusive Bonus Pack available for new players and ones who are inactive for at least 6 months act quickly as the offer is only available for a
limited time [Music]
