Turkmenistan is a country located in Central Asia and is known for its strong military and defense. The Turkmen Armed Forces (TAF) is the military branch of the country and consists of three branches: Army, Air Force, and Navy. The total active personnel stands at around 35,000 with an additional reserve force of around 10,000 personnel. Turkmenistan has a higher defense budget compared to its GDP as it spends about 5.7% of its GDP on defense. The country also imports weapons from countries such as Russia, China, Turkey, and the United States. Turkmenistan also has strong ties with other countries in the region such as Uzbekistan which allows them to cooperate militarily when needed. As a result of this strong military presence in the region Turkmenistan has become an important regional player in security issues and is able to maintain peace and stability within Central Asia effectively. See naturegnosis to learn more about the country of Turkmenistan.
Defense
The defense was severely cut and reorganized following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. It is based on general military duty with 24 months of service. The defense comprises (2008) 22,000 men with an army of 18,500 men in 3 divisions. The Navy has 500 men with 6 patrol boats, and the Air Force has 3,000 men with 94 fighter aircraft, including 22 MiG-29.
A naval unit in the Caspian Sea led by the Russian Federation is organized by the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. The material is of Soviet origin and semi-modern. Defense spending decreased in 1996-2006 from 2.8% to 1.8% of GDP. To see related acronyms about this country, please check ABBREVIATIONFINDER where you can see that TKM stands for Turkmenistan.
Turkmenistan defense
Turkmenistan has military service after selection with first 24 months of service. The country joined the NATO Partnership for Peace program in 1994. The total force numbers for Turkmenistan’s armed forces are 36,500 active personnel (2018, IISS). In addition, there are about 5000 semi-military border guards.
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Army
The army has a strength of 33,000 active personnel. Materials include 654 tanks (650 T-72 and four T-90), 260 light trucks, 1038 storm tanks, 902 armored personnel vehicles, 58 tanks and 88 self-propelled artillery, including 48 self-propelled artillery. In addition, the army has heavy artillery, short-range ballistic missiles, short-range air defense missiles and medium-heavy and heavy drones.
Air Force
The Air Force has a force of 3000 active personnel. Materials include 24 fighters of a MiG-29, 31 attack aircraft of the type Su-25, three light transport aircraft, two trainers and 23 helicopters, of which ten combat helicopters of the type Mi-24.
The Navy
The Navy has a force of 500 active personnel, four patrol vessels and one auxiliary vessel.
Turkmenistan’s international relations
Turkmenistan concentrates on establishing good contacts with Iran and Turkey, but is particularly aware of the protection of Islamic fundamentalism. After Nijazov’s death, the country has become less isolated, and at the same time it has opened up more to Western actors.
Turkmenistan is a member of the UN and some of the UN’s special organizations, including the World Bank. The country is also a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and ECO (the Economic Cooperation Organization for Muslim Countries in the Area). In 1994, Turkmenistan became the first Central Asian country to join NATO’s Partnership Program for Peace Partnership.
Russia – Turkmenistan
Relations with Russia are complicated. In 1999, Turkmenistan broke a cooperation agreement with Russia and introduced a visa requirement for citizens of the US states. However, Nijazov remained firm in defense cooperation with Russia, and Russian troops participate in the guard along the borders of Afghanistan and Iran. Turkmenistan’s own defense is under construction. There is, among other things, plans for a naval force in the Caspian Sea.
Norway – Turkmenistan
Norway recognized Turkmenistan on January 24, 1992 and diplomatic relations were established on June 06, 1992. Turkmenistan still does not have diplomatic representation in Norway or side accreditation from another country. There has been no bilateral exchange of visitors at the political level. Norway’s Ambassador to Astana is later accredited to Ashkhabad.
In February 1999, Turkmenistan took the initiative to conclude a bilateral agreement to avoid double taxation with Norway. The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has welcomed such an agreement, but no specific initiatives have been taken. Aviation agreement was signed in 2002.
Turkmenistan receives relatively limited project support over the foreign budgets, and IOM and UNDP have been the main beneficiaries. In the 2000s, the National Antiquarian has had smaller collaborative projects with Turkmen authorities and UNESCO on the preservation of cultural monuments.