According to the latest information we have gathered, there are 27 newspapers published in Turkmenistan, all of them, except for one, Zaman Turkmenistan, having a state entity statute.

The most prominent newspapers still in operation include:

  • Neytralny Turkmenistan (the main newspaper of Turkmenistan)

Language: Russian

  • Neutral Turkmenistan

Language: English

  • Turkmenistan (another major newspaper in Turkmenistan)
  • Watan (meaning “homeland” in Turkmen) with a history going back to the Soviet-era when it was run as Yash Kommunistler (meaning “young communists”)
  • Nesil (meaning “generation” in Turkmen), a newspaper owned by the official state youth organization
  • Turkmen Sporty, a newspaper owned by the State Sports Committee
  • Mugallymlar Gazeti (meaning “newspaper of teachers”), a newspaper administered by the Ministry of Education
  • Adalat (meaning “justice” in Turkmen), a newspaper administered by the Ministry of Justice
  • Nebit-Gaz (meaning “oil and gas” in Turkmen), administered by the Ministry of Oil and Gas
  • Edebiyat we Sungat (meaning “literature and art: in Turkmen), a newspaper administered by the Ministry of Culture and Broadcasting
  • Bereketli Toprak (meaning “fertile land” in Turkmen), a newspaper administered by the Ministry of Agriculture
  • Turkmenin Yupek Yoly (meaning “silk Turkemn road” in Turkmen), a newspaper administered by the Ministry of Railways
  • Esger (meaning “soldier” in Turkmen), a newspaper administered by the Ministry of Defense
  • Galkynysh (meaning “development” in Turkmen), a newspaper administered by the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan that has been in power, uninterruptedly, since 1991

Media assets

Publishing: Newspapers- Neytralny Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan, Watan, Nesil, Turkmen Sporty, Mugallymlar Gazeti, Adalat, Nebit-Gaz, Edebiyat we Sungat, Bereketli Toprak, Turkmenin Yupek Yoly, Esger, Galkynysh; Magazines- Dunya Edebiyaty, Garagum, Saglyk, Altyn Asyr Ykdysadyyeti, Gunesh, Taze Oba, Diyar

State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)


Ownership and governance

The newspapers and online media in Turkmenistan are controlled by the State Publishing Office. All the managers at these publications are appointed by the government.

Source of funding and budget

The State Publishing Office, the government body that runs the print media operation of the government, finances itself through subscriptions to its newspapers. However, the population is forced by the government to subscribe to a newspaper (many times not of their choice), giving authorities full control of the financing going into the print media, according to experts covering Turkmenistan.

Editorial independence

The State Publishing Office is operated as a government body with full decision-making power in the editorial agenda of its print media outlets. Like all the media outlets in the country, the office’s newspapers are obliged to praise the President of the country, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow. Newspapers routinely publish a large picture of the president on their front pages every day. Individual ministries are also given editorial and administrative control over these newspapers, according to experts covering Turkmenistan.

No domestic statute and no independent mechanism that establish and validate the editorial independence of the newspapers published by the State Publishing Office have been identified.

September 2023