A rare trip to one of the world’s most secretive and authoritarian states.
Getting into Turkmenistan wasn’t easy – despite the country’s official website claiming that my passport allowed visa-free entry for up to 30 days. The reality was quite the opposite.
As one of the world’s most secretive and authoritarian states, Turkmenistan remains both mysterious and oddly magnetic to outsiders. Online, it’s often described with words like “weirdest,” “strangest,” “preplanned,” and “secluded.”
Wary of the unexpected yet driven by curiosity, my colleague and I began planning months in advance. For a simple work visit – to meet local counterparts and discuss future cooperation – we needed an official invitation from the State Committee for Television, Radio Broadcasting and Cinematography, approved personally by the Turkmen president himself.
Landing in the Marble City
Most international flights to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s capital, arrive in the middle of the night.
After a long layover in Istanbul, we landed at 2:40 a.m.
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