A video narrating the life of the last khan of the Kazakh Khanate, in which the Kyrgyz are portrayed as treacherous and collaborationists, has ruffled some feathers in the Kyrgyz government. Even…
Turkmenistan’s National Leader regional tour
The National Leader of Turkmenistan embarked on a regional tour visiting neighbouring Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan just shortly after the EU-Central Asia summit in Samarkand. Another indication on who really is the…
The return of Turkmen gas to Armenia?
Armenia has a renewed interest in purchasing gas from Turkmenistan to reduce its dependency from Russia. It is not the first time they have mentioned this possibility, but Iran’s current good relations…
Ulugh Beg: a short biography of the astronomer-sultan of Samarkand
A grandson of the feared Amir Timur, a patron of science, a reputed astronomer, and the ruler of the fabled Samarkand. Ulugh Beg is one of Central Asia’s most fascinating characters whose…
Time to criticise Nazarbayev… and stay in power
In an interview with a Kazakh newspaper, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev openly criticised his predecessor while implicitly announcing his plans to stay in power. As the years go by, the criticism to Nazarbayev by…
Marble and golden domes: Turkmenistan’s mosque building spree
Last spring, in anticipation of the Night of Power (Gadyr gijesi), a significant date in the Muslim calendar, four new mosques were opened in villages across Turkmenistan. This has become a common…
Islam Karimov in today’s Uzbekistan
Eight years after his death, Uzbekistan’s first president, Islam Karimov, is still symbolically present in the country. On January 30, Shavkat Mirziyoyev honoured the memory of his predecessor by laying a floral…
The hidden treasures of Turkmenistan (part III)
As we explored in The hidden treasures of Turkmenistan (part I) and The hidden treasures of Turkmenistan (part II), the Central Asian country has a rich heritage worth exploring and reading about. In…
A new flag for a ‘New Kyrgyzstan’?
It seems that the current flag of Kyrgyzstan may soon be a thing of the past. The change will not be a drastic one, but the reasons behind the need to alter…
ANALYSIS: Turkmenistan diversification of gas exports, from chimeras to pragmatism?
For years Turkmenistan has been unsuccessful in diversifying its natural gas exports, but that is slowly changing. In the last months, we have witnessed Ashgabat exploring new markets for its gas, reigniting…
The Emir of Qatar’s Central Asian tour
The Emir of Qatar has travelled to four of the five Central Asian republics as part of a trip that highlights the role the Gulf countries can play in the region. The…
Where is Arkadag?
Turkmenistan’s National Leader and former president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, has been missing for the past three weeks. His son and president has kept his agenda, traveling to Moscow and Tajikistan, as if nothing…
Turkmenistan looks to the Gulf
In the space of just a few days, Turkmenistan’s power duo of father and son have met with high-ranking officials of the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. Seeking additional investment for its troubling…
ANALYSIS: Uzbekistan’s latest cabinet reshuffle
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reshuffled the Cabinet of Ministers at the end of 2022. A restructuring that saw a reduction of ministries and the emergence of new faces to lead them, while other…
The Awaza tripartite summit, a lacklustre event
The much-awaited meeting of the presidents of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan finally took place in mid-December. For all the buzz of three Turkic, and more specifically Oghuz, countries meeting trilaterally, the outcome…
Turkmenistan joins the Turkic club, but at what price?
Turkmenistan will finally become a member of the Organisation of Turkic States. A much-desired prize by Ankara that has lobbied in the past for Ashgabat to join its project. However, questions remain…
Conscripts in Central Asia, a dangerous obligation
Soldiers in the Central Asian republics have to face worse dangers than enemy bullets or shells. Bullying, hazing, accidents, and psychological pressure are responsible for a large share of deaths and injuries…
No more antics as former Turkmen president passed baton to son
Five months after leaving the presidency, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has relinquished being the centre of attention in favour of his son. It would now seem like his public role is mostly limited to…
The European Union’s Tajik contradiction
The different bodies of the European Union are issuing contradictory messages regarding Tajikistan. From condemning the government’s actions and repressive measures in its easternmost region, to looking to invest in the country’s…
Karakalpakstan, unexpected problem in Uzbekistan’s constitutional reform
Uzbekistan is in the process of amending its constitution. The zeroing of presidential terms, allowing incumbent Shavkat Mirziyoyev to remain in power, was expected to be the most contentious change. However, the…
The ‘new normal’ along the Tajik-Kyrgyz border
Since the spring 2021 clash between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, the situation along the border continues to be unstable and we have now grown accustomed to reports of shootings and casualties. Despite last…
Turkey and Central Asian military cooperation: more than just drones
From arms sales to joint military exercises and cooperation agreements, in the last few years Turkey has stepped up its security links with the Central Asian nations. This has opened new opportunities…
The hidden treasures of Turkmenistan (part II)
As we explored in The hidden treasures of Turkmenistan (part I), the Central Asian country has a rich heritage largely unknown to the great public. In this second part we will explore…
Hard times for Central Asia’s Foreign Ministers
In a matter of days, two of Central Asia’s Foreign Ministers were dismissed. At a time when diplomacy is of utmost importance for the region, with the war in Ukraine far from…
Tokayev’s balancing act in the Russia-Ukraine war
Central Asia is one of the regions most affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Its strong links to Moscow has put the Central Asian countries in a difficult position. They cannot be…
Questions arise after Kazakhstan’s Minister of Defence dismissal
Days after being confirmed in his post as Minister of Defence, Murat Bektanov was dismissed by President Tokayev. He did so with strong words against the former minister, even though it was…
The University of Samarkand gets a new controversial name
Almost two years after being linked to a centenary Timurid past, the University of Samarkand has become once again the focus of historical revisionism by being named after a notorious Soviet Uzbek…
Nazarbayev’s piloted power transition fails
The power struggles in the corridors of Nur-Sultan following the protests in Kazakhstan have proven that the Nazarbayev’s piloted transition that started in 2019 has not been successful. In March 2019, the…
Nazarbayev personality cult increases as he steps down
It has been more than two years since Nursultan Nazarbayev decided to leave the presidency of Kazakhstan. Since then, his personality cult has been gradually increasing. Building his legacy is now a…
Uzbek president starts second term with controversial appointments
A flurry of appointments and reassignments have taken place in the last days in Uzbekistan following Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s victory in the presidential elections. Ministers, governors, and directors of public entities have changed…
New, and not so new, alternatives for Turkmen gas
In the last months, several possible export routes for Turkmenistan’s gas have emerged. Much welcomed news for a country dependant on its natural gas, and that is going through hard economic times….
Kyrgyzstan rearms amid its president’s nationalist remarks
Kyrgyzstan has been acquiring new military hardware in the last months. These movements follow the clashes with Tajikistan in spring during which it became evident the Kyrgyz army was lagging behind its…
The Khorezmian Empire: collapse and resistance (part II)
This is a continuation of “The Khorezmian Empire: from slaves to Khorezmshahs (part I)” The Mongol conquest The Kara-Khitan Empire, immersed in disarray during its final years, ceased to exist in 1218…
The Khorezmian Empire: from slaves to Khorezmshahs (part I)
The Khorezmian Empire of the Anushteginids is mostly remembered as one of Genghis Khan’s foes. However, this dynasty of Turkoman stock became the regional power of its day. Emerging from the fringes…