The flurry of edicts and appointments, and symbolic meetings and events in Turkmenistan since the election of the new president, Kurbanguly Berdymuhammedov, has been head-spinning. A quick summary of the last two or so weeks should help to put this in some perspective:

On Feb. 12, one day after the presidential elections, a Turkmentelecom official tells the media that the country plans to open its first Internet café, Associated Press reported. On Feb. 21, the first of these Internet café is officially inaugurated, with promises that a further fifteen such facilities would open in different places across the country in the near future. Although for the record it should be noted that an Internet café, called Matrix, did already exist in Ashgabat’s World Trade Centre.

On Feb. 13, the office of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov confirms that it will attend the president’s inauguration.
Interfax reports that the Russian delegation announces its intention to work on strengthening “the existing work on partnership with the new leadership, particularly in the fuel and energy sector.”
Other attendees at Berdymuhammedov’s inauguration on Feb. 14 included Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, and the leaders of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, and Iran.
In what Jamestown’s John C.K. Daly described as a diplomatic snub, the United States sent U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher.
Another key figure present was gas giant Gazprom’s chief executive Alexei Miller, whose attendance drew inevitable speculation about Russia’s early move to assure itself of future gas supplies.

On Feb. 15, Russia and Turkmenistan confirmed pre-existing agreements on gas deliveries. On the same day, Baku Today reports that former president of the Azeri State Oil Company, Sabit Baghirov, has noted that Turkmenistan joining the bid to construct a TransCaspian Pipeline will be the key agenda in the country’s future bilateral relations. Four days later, Ukraine’s now former Fuel and Energy Minister Yuri Boyko notes with satisfaction the consistency of the country’s leadership — an obvious reference to former President Saparmurat Niyazov infamously erratic brand of gas diplomacy.

Appointments have also numerous and not without some of the erratic qualities of Niyazov.
On Feb. 16, Berdymukhamedov appointed 48-year-old Hadyr Saparlyyev as Minister of Education, a position he had already held in 2004-2005, as Reuters reported. The appointment is indubitably linked to Berdymukhamedov’s ambition to be seen following up on electoral promises to remedy the country’s disastrous educational sector.
One early decision to receive widespread plaudits is was reinstatement of 10-year compulsory schooling.
On Feb. 20, Berdymukhamedov announced his intention to create an oversight commission for law enforcement agencies. As the Associated Press reported:

“Berdymukhamedov said the new commission will analyse complaints by citizens in order to improve police and intelligence agencies’ operations. Among the members will be the chairman of the Supreme Court, the prosecutor general and ministers of justice and interior along with politicians and trade union leaders.”

In addition to being a gesture edging towards greater democratic values, the institution gives the president an official mechanism with which to keep the armed forces in check. Given that all the members of the putative commission would appear set to be drawn from de facto appointees of the president’s office, it is more likely that this would serve the prevailing elite rather than the country’s people, who have frequently suffered at the hands of arbitrary and corrupt police and intelligence operatives.

In a staff change on Feb. 18, Berdymuhammedov appointed Yusup Ishangulyev to head the presidential administration. This was historically a dangerous job to have and particularly subject to Niyazov’s frequent cadre switches. In July 2005, Rejep Saparov was dismissed from the position and subsequently sentenced to 20 years in jail on corruption charges. The job has since been held by a handful of people.
Meanwhile, there are still no reports of the reappearance or otherwise of Niyazov’s deputy chief of staff Alexander Zhadan, who is alleged by many to have been the former leader’s bagman.

Perhaps most curiously, the head of the country’s main oil refinery, Tachberdi Tagiyev, was named as the new head of state gas monopoly Turkmengaz, with the rank of Cabinet minister, on Feb. 18, only to be relieved of this post on Feb. 23. He was subsequently promoted to deputy chairman of the Cabinet. The new chairman of Turkmengaz will be Yagshygeldy Kakayev, who has specialized in the oil and gas sector since 1982. Since 1996, Kakayev has headed the processing industry department of the Oil, Gas and Natural Resources Ministry.

The last two days have seen the most active season for official appointments — including Khodjamuhammed Muhammedov as Chairman of the stock exchange; Kurbandurdy Kakaliyev as Social Security Minister; Muratberdy Annalyev as head of the State Customs Service; Sapargeldy Djumayev as head of the state geological exploration agency Turkmengeologia; Kakamurad Mommadov as director of the State Statistics and Information Service; Enebay Atabayeva as the Minister of Culture and Telecommunicatoins. Deryageldy Orazov as the head of the state committee for tourism and sport; Yusup Davudov as the Minister for Energy and Industry; Djeren Taimov as the head of the Turkmen State Information Service and the editor of Neutralniy Turkmenistan; Orazmurad Esenov as the governor of the Ashgabat region; Resulberdy Khodjakurbnov as the Minster for Communications; Ashirgeldy Zamanov as Transportation Minister; Orazberdy Khudayberdiyev as Minster for Railways; Yailym Berdyev as chairman of the State Foreigner Registration Service.

Lesser appointments included Dovlet Hodjaev as chief of the Federal Tax Service; Kurbangeldy Klychdurdyev as the Rector of the Turkmen State Energy Institute; Kurbanguly Aitkulyev as the chairman of the Turkmen Chemical company; Baymurat Kulov as the head of the Turkmen Shipping Company.
He switched Murat Orazov from being the general director of state Turkmen television to being in charge of state film and television production company. Shadury Alovov was named as deputy Minister of Culture and Telecommunications and also appointed new head of the state television corporation.

The message is that for all the vaunted continuity, Berdymuhammedov realises that a shake-up is his only means of progress and survival. Notably, the changes that have been made so far have more frequently touched upon the industrial, economic and social side of the country’s affairs. To say that political and military reform will be not be prioritised in the near term is the safest of guesses. The question remains, however, whether such reforms as are adopted will be profound, genuine and effective.