Cablegate: Turkmenistan: Minister of Interior Publicly
VZCZCXRO5864
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHAH #1493 3271321
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231321Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3781
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 5909
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 3612
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 3471
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RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4151
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UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001493
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, INL/AAE BUHLER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PGOV SNAR SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: MINISTER OF INTERIOR PUBLICLY
REPRIMANDED
REF: Ashgabat 678
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public
Internet.
2. (SBU) SUMMARY: President Berdimuhamedov last week
publicly reprimanded the Minister of Internal Affairs
(MVD), Ingender Mulikov, citing "shortcomings."
Mulikov was appointed to the position six months ago
and received a promotion last month. Other than what
was contained in the official statement, no other
reasons have been made public regarding Mulikov's
reprimand. END SUMMARY.
3. (SBU) By presidential order issued on November 17,
Interior Minister Isgender Mulikov was reprimanded
for "weakening discipline and order" among
staff of MVD, for a lack of organization in the
ministry's political-education work, as well as for
failing to provide information on crimes. (NOTE:
"Political-education work" reportedly refers to
mandatory Saturday lectures and meetings, such as
reading the Ruhnama and discussions of recent
presidential decrees, the president's foreign travel,
etc., an activity dating back to the Soviet period.
END NOTE.). Mulikov was warned that if he does not
address these shortcomings very soon, he will be
dismissed from his position. It was the first
reprimand he has received since being appointed.
4. (SBU) According to one Embassy source, not from
within the MVD itself, Mulikov is the target of
someone from Berdimuhamedov's inner circle who
simply dislikes him, and made disparaging statements
about him to the president. According to another
source, Mulikov failed to report a recent series of
murders in Ashgabat to the president.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: Berdimuhamedov has taken to
regularly reprimanding Cabinet members and other
officials. Every month, it seems, one or two Cabinet
members are publicly chastised for some reported
shortcoming or another. Some sources suggest that
such reprimands are simply another way for the
president to impose strict controls on his
subordinates. END COMMENT.
6. (SBU) BIO NOTE: Minister of Interior Isgender
Handurdyevich Mulikov was born in 1975 in Ashgabat.
He graduated from the Higher School of the Ministry of
Internal Affairs (now know as the Police Academy) in
1996, and worked in various positions at the Ministry
of Interior, including as Deputy Minister of Interior
and Head of the Dashoguz Province Police Department.
He was appointed to the position of Interior Minister
and conferred the rank of Lieutenant Colonel on May
29. Last month, Mulikov was promoted to the rank of
the Colonel of Police. He participated in CENTCOM's
Consultative Staff Talks in Tampa, Florida in May
2008. He is married and has three children. END BIO
NOTE.
CURRAN