Turkmenistan: the great unknown in Central Asia:
Turkmenistan is one of the most closed-off countries in the world and bewilders with its many parallel worlds: ...
faz.net/aktuell/reise/turkmenistan-die-grosse-unbekannte-in-zentralasien-200738935.html
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Turkmenistan: About Five Hours to EnterCrossing the border took about five hours; a PCR test cost 30 dollars and produced no result.
- Entry took about five hours, involving repeated waiting, moving on, stamps, and new slips of paper.
- Barbed wire, watchtowers, and military personnel were visible at the border crossing.
- English was not spoken there; the passport disappeared behind counters and returned without explanation.
- A PCR test cost 30 dollars, involved a swab, and produced no result.
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Ultra-reclusive Turkmenistan slowly opens up to tourists: The former Soviet republic is tentatively opening up to tourists after decades of isolation ...
straitstimes.com/asia/ultra-reclusive-turkmenistan-slowly-opens-up-to-tourists
Inside Turkmenistan, the shadowy hermit state that's slowly opening to tourists: Alice Murphy speaks to tourism experts and local guides about Turkmenistan ...
metro.co.uk/2026/06/05/inside-turkmenistan-shadowy-hermit-state-slowly-opening-tourists-28433055/
Key FactsTurkmenistan is slowly opening to tourists
Jun 5, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: metro.co.uk
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: metro.co.uk
- Only a few thousand foreign tourists visit Turkmenistan annually; it remains the least visited and most secretive of the five “Stans”.
- A law passed in April 2025 paved the way for electronic visas, but their launch has not yet occurred.
- According to Dylan Harris, processing fell from 12 weeks to two, while his company reported no rejections during the past year.
- Ashgabat features 170 white-marble buildings, while the burning Darvaza crater remains of uncertain origin.
Even people with fairly sensitive occupations who were completely rejected before, they’ve been issued visas without any problems. It’s all signs of things moving in the right way.— Dylan Harris, head of British alternative tour company Lupine Travel, describing the Turkmenistan visa process, as quoted in Metro
Freedom For Foreigners, Limitations For Locals As Turkmenistan Opens To Tourism: A loosening of rules for tourists entering Turkmenistan has been noticed by ...
rferl.org/a/turkmenistan-tourism-thaw-locals-travel-visas-repression/33757731.html
One of the world’s least visited countries is slowly opening up: In Turkmenistan, social media sites such as Instagram and TikTok, still blocked but accessible ...
independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/turkmenistan-tourism-tourist-numbers-visit-b2969375.html
Reclusive Turkmenistan shows signs of cautiously opening up: From a brightly lit, open-plan office Azat Seyitmuhammedov runs an e-commerce startup, Wabrum ...
reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/reclusive-turkmenistan-shows-signs-cautiously-opening-up-2026-05-02/
Key FactsTurkmenistan’s Cautious Opening Remains Tightly Controlled
May 2, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: independent.co.uk
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: independent.co.uk
- Since 2022, Turkmenistan has shown signs of a modest opening under President Serdar Berdymukhamedov and seeks simpler visas and WTO membership.
- Wabrum’s couriers mainly deliver Turkish clothes and shoes, while the company considers itself an e-commerce pioneer.
- Instagram and TikTok remain blocked but are increasingly used through VPNs; meanwhile, the internet is slow and heavily censored.
- Political control remains tight, while foreign investors face opaque politics and official and unofficial dollar exchange rates.
As a resident of Turkmenistan, I am also very happy that stereotypes are finally being broken, (the idea) that Turkmenistan is closed.— Velmuradova, a social media influencer and travel agency promoter in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, commenting on Turkmenistan opening up.
Central Asian gas giant Turkmenistan deepens reliance on China: Energy-rich Turkmenistan has stated its desire to diversify its exports towards Europe and the ...
hongkongfp.com/2026/04/26/central-asian-gas-giant-turkmenistan-deepens-reliance-on-china/
Is the US Overlooking Turkmenistan in Its Iran Strategy?: Securing access agreements for Turkmen facilities would be of clear utility to Washington ...
thediplomat.com/2026/04/is-the-us-overlooking-turkmenistan-in-its-iran-strategy/
Turkmenistan's president to visit EU for talks on energy, EU ambassador says: Turkmenistan's president is preparing to make an official visit to Brussels as the ...
reuters.com/business/energy/turkmenistans-president-visit-eu-talks-energy-eu-ambassador-says-2026-02-17/
Passengers stranded in Turkmenistan for 21 hours after diversion: Turkmenistan is one of the most sparsely populated and most isolated countries on earth ...
businessinsider.com/passengers-stranded-in-turkmenistan-for-21-hours-after-diversion-2026-1
Russia, Turkey, Iran presidents hold rare summit in Turkmenistan: The leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran meet Friday in Turkmenistan, an isolated Central Asian ...
english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2025/12/12/russia-turkey-iran-presidents-hold-rare-summit-in-turkmenistan
Yeni Safak English Dec 12 25
World leaders gather in Ashgabat for major peace forum: Turkmenistan is hosting a high-level International Forum for Peace and Trust in its capital ...
en.yenisafak.com/world/world-leaders-gather-in-ashgabat-for-major-peace-forum-3711799
Key FactsAshgabat Hosts Forum Marking Turkmenistan’s Neutrality Anniversary
Dec 12, 2025 · Reading time: ~30 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: en.yenisafak.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: en.yenisafak.com
- Turkmenistan is hosting a peace and trust forum in Ashgabat on Friday, marking 30 years of UN-recognized permanent neutrality.
- A March 2024 UN General Assembly resolution designated 2025 as the International Year of Peace and Trust.
- Named participants include Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Masoud Pezeshkian, leaders from Kazakhstan and Pakistan, and a Chinese special envoy.
- In 1995, Turkmenistan became the only country whose permanent-neutrality policy was formally adopted by the UN General Assembly.
Yeni Safak English Dec 12 25
Turkmenistan's president proposes a UN-backed university of peace: At an international forum in Ashgabat, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhammedov unveiled a ...
en.yenisafak.com/world/turkmenistans-president-proposes-a-un-backed-university-of-peace-3711824
Long-eared species feared extinct for 55 years rediscovered in Turkmenistan: International researchers rediscovered the Turkestan long-eared bat in the Karakum ...
kansascity.com/news/nation-world/world/article312805193.html
-C.DietzD85_1210__fitted.jpeg)
One of the world’s most isolated countries, this former Soviet state is showing signs it’s ready for more tourists
edition.cnn.com/2025/07/31/travel/turkmenistan-tourism-visas-opening
Key FactsTurkmenistan signals possible tourist-visa easing
Jul 31, 2025 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: cnn.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: cnn.com
- In April, the government announced streamlined visa rules, but Dylan Lupine says they have not yet taken effect.
- Currently, a tourist visa requires booking through an approved tour operator and a Foreign Ministry LOI; vetting can take months.
- If introduced, travelers could apply online, while officials promise substantially faster processing and fewer rejections.
- The LOI requirement would reportedly disappear, but a Turkmenistan sponsor, usually a guided tour, would remain necessary.
When Uzbekistan simplified their visa procedures after (President Islam) Karimov’s death, tourism increased manifold, and maybe they are hoping for similar effects in Turkmenistan,— Erika Fatland, Norwegian writer and anthropologist, in the CNN travel article about Turkmenistan's visa policy and tourism prospects
u.afp.com Jun 06 25
Turkmenistan reduces 50-year fire dubbed 'Gateway to Hell': Turkmenistan said Thursday it had significantly reduced a gas fire that has been raging for half a ...
france24.com/en/live-news/20250605-turkmenistan-reduces-50-year-fire-dubbed-gateway-to-hell
New Atlas Jun 08 25
"Door to Hell" starting to close after 54 years: The famous 'Door to Hell' gas crater in Turkmenistan, burning for 50 years ...
newatlas.com/environment/darvaza-gas-crater-door-to-hell-closing/
GoFundMe Nov 12 22
Turkmenistan: Washington plays footsie: Turkmenistan’s new leader receives an American official while his father visits Putin. And Ashgabat doubles the number of ...
eurasianet.org/turkmenistan-washington-plays-footsie
Key FactsUS engagement and tighter internet controls in Turkmenistan
Nov 12, 2022 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: eurasianet.org
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: eurasianet.org
- U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu visited Ashgabat on November 6, beginning a six-day Central Asia tour.
- During his tour, Lu was expected to promote the Economic Resilience Initiative, which Washington funds with $25 million.
- Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov reaffirmed the strategic partnership during a meeting with Putin on November 3.
- Turkmen.news reported, citing sources, that blocked IP addresses doubled from 1.2 billion in September to 2.5 billion in October.
The U.S. is ready to help in any way possible, but we will not buy Turkmen gas, we have a lot of gas in the United States.— Donald Lu; remarks reported by Prime News Agency (Business Wire).
Derweze crater: "gateway to hell" in Turkmenistan has been burning for 50 years: The crater of Derweze in the Turkmen desert is considered the "gateway to hell" ...
stern.de/reise/fernreisen/krater-von-derweze---tor-zur-hoelle--in-turkmenistan-brennt-seit-50-jahren-30581442.html
Key FactsDerweze Crater Has Burned for Decades in Turkmenistan
Jun 22, 2021 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: stern.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: stern.de
- Derweze lies in the Karakum Desert and covers 5,350 square metres, measuring nearly 70 metres across and 30 metres deep.
- The hole probably formed during Soviet gas drilling in 1971, but no written evidence is known.
- Escaping methane was probably ignited; the source did not run dry, so the crater continues burning today.
- The crater has been a tourist attraction for several years; in 2013, George Kourounis first reached its bottom.
I would call it the Coliseum of Fire: Wherever you look, there are thousands of small torches. And the sound is like the roar of a jet engine, such a powerful, crushing sound of burning gas. And no smoke is visible.— George Kourounis, Canadian adventurer, described his impression to National Geographic in coverage of the Derweze crater.
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