Turkmenistan

TURKMENISTAN

NEUTRALITY AT THE SERVICE OF WORLD PEACE 

Derya Soysal, Expert on Central Asia, Diplomatic World 

Turkmenistan has declared 2025 as the "International Year of Peace and Trust." Since then, the country has been promoting this initiative worldwide. Since Turkmenistan declared its neutrality, it has had positive repercussions at national, regional, and international levels. It is useful to understand the historical context of Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality and its achievements in peace over thirty years of permanent neutrality. 

Historical Context 

Thirty years ago, on December 12, 1995, Turkmenistan declared its permanent neutrality, four years after its independence. Article 1 of the Constitution of Turkmenistan states that "Turkmenistan, by law, has the status of permanent neutrality." 

Turkmenistan declared its permanent neutrality in the context of independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and at a time when significant tensions existed in its neighbouring country, Afghanistan. During Turkmenistan's independence in 1991, Afghanistan was in the midst of a severe civil war. After the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989, President Mohammad Najibullah was trying to protect his government from the attacks of the Mujahideen. The situation in Afghanistan was characterized by continuous conflicts between government forces and resistance groups, as well as political instability. Turkmenistan's government policy was shaped in response to such instability in its neighbour, which will be discussed in more detail below. 

Since Turkmenistan declared its permanent neutrality, the United Nations has recognized the country's contributions to world peace and stability. 

Concept of Neutrality in Turkmenistan 

The concept of neutrality has developed in Turkmenistan and has helped build the country's identity. Neutrality has been integrated into Turkmenistan's political culture and its process of de-Russification. Since its independence, the concept of neutrality has promoted Turkmenistan's interests at national, regional, and global levels. 

After independence, Turkmenistan's leaders opted for a political culture of neutrality to achieve their dual objectives of de-Russification and formulating their foreign policy in a way that would integrate them into the international community and counter the threats and pressures of the so-called new Great Game in the Eurasian region. 

The concept of neutrality has been associated with the aftermath of wars, when sovereign states adopt neutrality to avoid any form of involvement in an armed inter-state conflict. Turkmenistan chose neutrality after the end of the Cold War, and it is the only state to have opted for neutrality in peacetime. According to Article 1 of its Constitution, Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality is the basis of its foreign and domestic policy aimed at strengthening stability and consent in society, developing friendly and mutually beneficial relations with states in the region and around the world. 

The principle of permanent neutrality contributed to Turkmenistan's rapid integration into the international community. In this context, it provided comprehensive opportunities for establishing and developing economic and political ties with international actors. This process not only allowed Turkmenistan to build diplomatic and trade-economic ties but also enabled it to successfully complete the priority of forming its internal political system. 

Achievements of Turkmenistan in Regional and World Peace 

During a visit to Ashgabat in 2024, António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, told journalists that "Turkmenistan is playing a very important role in international relations," particularly in cooperation with the UN: "In these troubled times, I commend Turkmenistan's policy of neutrality," he said. He was encouraged that relations between Central Asian countries have improved in the face of these challenges, and regional cooperation has deepened, again highlighting the important role played by Turkmenistan. 

Mr. Guterres also noted that Turkmenistan has made "significant progress" towards achieving a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adding that the UN country team is engaged with the government in identifying gaps and risks. Turkmenistan's neutrality has allowed the country to develop diplomatic relations with many diverse countries. It has established bilateral relations with the United States, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, China, India, Pakistan, and many others, staying away from the clutches of the so-called "new Great Game" in the region. Additionally, as noted by Ünlü (2016) in his research, thanks to its permanent neutrality, Turkmenistan has played a crucial role in developing the legal status of the Caspian Sea. Until 1991, the status of the Caspian Sea and the region's energy resources were governed by treaties between Soviet Russia and Iran. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the littoral states (Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan) gained independence, and this increase in the number of littoral states led to several issues: the inability to determine continental shelves, and the sharing and use of energy resources led to disputes between the states in the region. Not only has Turkmenistan been the main country supporting the development of the legal status of the Caspian Sea, but it has also developed plans and projects for transporting Caspian gas to Europe. In these approaches, plans for transporting the region's energy resources to global markets through different routes were proposed. The first of these plans is a gas distribution plan coordinated by Turkmenistan, Iran, and Türkiye, and the second is the transport of Caspian gas via Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Russia.

Finally, Turkmenistan has supported the development of peace and conflict resolution in the Central Asian region. In this context, Turkmenistan hosted negotiations between parties during the internal conflicts in Tajikistan and Afghanistan in the 1990s. In 2007, the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, began operating in the capital, Ashgabat. Certainly, Turkmenistan has played a key role in promoting peace in Afghanistan. Turkmenistan used its position of neutrality to organize forums and conferences on peace and stability in Afghanistan. For example, in 2015, it co-organized a regional conference in Ashgabat with NATO on peace and stability in Central Asia and Afghanistan. Turkmenistan has been providing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, aimed at building infrastructure such as schools and hospitals, and supplying electricity and drinking water. 

Conclusion 

In summary, as Terzioğlu (2012) states, in the statements of Turkmen authorities and various official documents, Turkmenistan's neutrality is described as "positive neutrality." Turkmenistan has maintained a policy of neutrality, recognized by the UN, which allows it to mediate in regional conflicts, organising forums on regional peace and stability in collaboration with international organizations like NATO. Moreover, the fact that the country declared 2025 as the "International Year of Peace and Trust" shows its commitment to promoting global peace and resolving various conflicts.