In major cities of Turkmenistan certain individuals with access to the Internet manage to bypass the blocked website and visit “banned” websites, whereas a considerable number of residents in the provinces listen to a “forbidden” radio station – Azatlyk.
However, the country’s residents point out that the number of programs and broadcasting time has been reduced recently, and that the efficiency of radio “Azatlyk” – Turkmen Service of Radio Liberty – has fallen.
With websites blocked and subscription to foreign periodicals banned, radio Azatlyk is the only source of alternative information for the overwhelming majority of Turkmen residents. The audience does not understand why year after year the time allotted to live radio broadcasts is diminishing.
At present radio Azatlyk broadcasts for eight hours a day, but only 30 minutes is devoted to live broadcasts, whereas the remaining time is allotted to replays. Several years ago live broadcasting time was an hour and a half, then it was reduced to an hour and now it lasts only 30 minutes.
The number of programs is also decreasing. The program devoted to human rights in Turkmenistan used to be very popular and intense but apparently, following a decision by the Turkmen service executives, it was closed down. The debating club “Round table” where the participants, including Turkmenistan residents, discussed the most pressing problems of the country and society, was closed down.
Now the radio broadcasts only the news, interviews and short messages. Moreover, much of this time is dedicated to foreign events which are not directly related to our country. The domestic news voices virtually no fundamental criticism of the Turkmen authorities. Representatives of the Turkmen opposition are no longer invited to take part in the programs or be interviewed
According to our sources, the number of employees – both in Prague where the broadcasting takes place and in Turkmenistan – has gone down. We feel sorry especially for those who risked their lives and put their relatives at risk to transmit reports from the country. They did this using their real names and needless to say, they were subjected to repression by the Turkmen special services. Now they are unwanted even for the management of the Radio.
Last year Turkmen journalists submitted an open letter to the President of «Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty» and expressed concern over the situation in the Turkmen Service. However, since then the situation has even exacerbated.
As a result, the residents of our country, who are being deprived of the last opportunity to have access to non-biased information, are being negatively affected by the idleness of Turkmen-speaking executives.
«Azatlyk has caved in to the authorities», — the audience accurately described the current station of the radio.
It is time for the US Congress, which funds the radio and has repeatedly expressed concerns over the state of freedom of speech in Central Asian countries, to clarify who they will support – the Turkmen government or the Turkmen residents and their right to information.