Turkmenistan Warns Against 'Disrespect' to State Publications; Do Not Use for Cleaning!

Turkmenistan's officials have warned government employees that they will be dismissed if they use state newspapers for cleaning windows, wrapping bread, or as toilet paper. The country's security agencies have even stated that they can track and identify offenders by printing QR codes on each page of the newspapers. The constant presence of images and articles praising the current president and his father seems to have heightened the sensitivity of these agencies. The state newspapers of Turkmenistan, filled with images of the president and laudatory content on the anniversary of his birth, show little sign of 'real news' in the heavily censored and edited publications of Turkmenistan; a situation that has led citizens to seek alternative uses for these publications. Uses include wrapping fragile items, crumpling for fire-starting, cleaning windows, and even using them as toilet paper, among other alternative uses for these state publications, which mainly consist of content praising current President Serdar Berdymukhamedov and former President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, the father of the current leader. Now, according to several government employees, security agencies are forcing government workers to sign written pledges to ensure the protection of pages of newspapers and magazines containing images of the country's leaders. In this country without free media, most government employees and students are forced to pay for subscriptions to state publications and receive them under duress. The 'permanent' presence of the president's images in Turkmen publications has led to warnings from officials to employees about disrespecting state newspapers since the beginning of 2025. One government employee confirmed that security agencies have said they may print QR codes on any page of the newspapers, which, according to this government employee, allows them to trace 'disrespected' pages back to newspaper subscribers. A government employee in the Balkan province of Turkmenistan stated, 'Now we don't even dare let our children touch the newspapers, because if a page with the president's photo gets torn or falls into the street, we will lose our jobs.' Very few employees read the publications they are forced to subscribe to, and they have used them for other purposes. In the fall and winter months, many use newspapers as cleaning tools and places to put shoes. The very low purchasing power of Turkmen citizens has also led to the use of these newspapers in bathrooms. Bad news publication is banned! Turkmenistan is consistently classified by international watchdogs like 'Reporters Without Borders' as one of the worst countries in terms of free information flow and media freedom. After the resignation of 67-year-old Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov from power in 2022 and the succession of his 43-year-old son Serdar, the situation did not improve. The father of the current president is still recognized as the main decision-maker in the country. In a country where, according to 'Reporters Without Borders', journalism is seen solely as a means for 'praising and glorifying the government,' there is no sign of independent media. The government continues to ruthlessly suppress dissent. Many critics are harassed, beaten, tortured, imprisoned, or even killed. Some are forced to leave the country and go into voluntary exile. Last year, Godaberdy Alashov, a former reporter for Radio Free Europe, died at the age of 35. His supporters claim that his long and fatal illness was due to pressures exerted by the government solely because of his job.