Human Rights Developments

Defending Human Rights

The Role of the International Community

The Role of the International Community

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)

The OSCE in 1998 initiated more forceful demonstrations of concern for human rights abuses in Turkmenistan than in the past. When current OSCE Chairman-in-Office Bronislaw Geremek visited Turkmenistan in April he appealed in his meeting with President Niyazov for the release of political prisoners. An OSCE special representative conducted a mission to the country in March and a memorandum of understanding was being prepared as of this writing.

United Nations

In October 1997, the U.N. Resident Coordinator in Ashgabat Omer Eritur publicly stated the U.N.’s commitment to “all possible support and assistance...to the government of Turkmenistan by the U.N. system organizations and other major donors” citing “recent and internally induced changes toward democratization.”

European Union

In February, the European Union signed an interim agreement with Turkmenistan aimed at boosting trade, which will remain in force until the full Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), scheduled to be ratified in the fall of 1998, comes into force. Although the P.C.A. mandates respect for civil and political freedom, the lack of any such freedoms in Turkmenistan did not seem to be hindering progress toward ratification.

United States

The U.S. pursued a contradictory policy toward Turkmenistan in 1998. On the one hand, the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997 provided a thorough indictment of the repressive and inhumane practices of that government, and the Department of State raised the issue of political prisoners prior to President Niyazov’s state visit. On the other hand, the U.S. refusal to attach any conditions to the state visit or to its aid, credits, and trade involving Turkmenistan entirely undercut any critical message. The Department of State’s appropriation request for Turkmenistan for fiscal year 1999 was nearly triple the 1998 estimate. The state visit resulted in a joint statement giving clear priority to cooperation in the energy sector; it expressed concern with the need for “rapid concrete steps toward reform” in human rights, but did not link these steps to continued good relations. And despite all evidence that Turkmenistan had only contempt for the rule of law, the White House issued a press release stating that “Turkmenistan is committed to strengthening the rule of law and political pluralism.” The press release followed the granting of U.S. credits to Exxon for a pipeline feasibility study in Turkmenistan.