3. Factbook Overview
Noun(s): Turkmenians, Turkmens
Capital: Ashgabat
Population Metrics: 53% urban, +/- 2.2% Annual change
Ethnicity: Turkmen- 85%, Uzbek- 5%, Russian- 4%, Other- 6%
Language: Turkmen (official) 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, Other 7%
Major Religions: Muslim 93%, Christian 6.4%
Climate: Subtropical desert, arid desert
Natural Resources: Petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt
Geography (Country): 488,100 (total); 469,930 (land); 18,170 (water) sq km
Time zone: UTC+05 (TMT), MIL: ECHO
Currency: Manat (divided into 100 tenge)
Exchange Rate: 1m= Approx. $3.51 USD
Travel Distances By Land:
Turkmenabat to Mary: Approx. 3 hours
Ashgabat to Mary: Approx. 4 hours
Ashgabat to Turkmenbashi: Approx. 5.5 hours
Ashgabat to Dashoguz: Approx. 7.5 hours
4. Factbook Overview (Con't)
Present-day Turkmenistan covers territory that has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. The area was ruled in antiquity by various Persian empires, and was conquered by Alexander the Great, Muslim armies, the Mongols, Turkic warriors, and eventually the Russians. In 1924, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic; it achieved independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.
Turkmenistan is divided into five provinces or welayatlar (singular welayat) and one capital city district (Ashgabat City). The provinces are subdivided into districts (etraplar, sing. etrap), which may be either counties or cities.
Cities themselves are often organized into boroughs and even micro-districts, reportedly used for the management of municipal utilities coverage and zoning.
6. Climate & Weather Data (Cont'd)
Climate & Weather BLUF:
A cold desert continental climate makes for long, hot, and dry summers from May through September, and peak temperatures during the months of July and August, sometimes exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Expect constant winds, notably from the north, northeast, and west. These winds persist throughout the year at varying strengths, and as a result, will keep the humidity lower than other tropical & subtropical desert climates throughout the Middle Eastern AOR.
Humidity extremes make for greater loss of the body’s water content through evaporation or perspiration, meaning drink more water!!!
Constant winds + dry conditions = debris and blowing sand factor. Increased discipline regarding changing visibility conditions and the functional state of weapons & equipment!!!
The wider temperature variance between day and night due to continental climate will result in colder nights, especially away from the Caspian Sea. Expect cold weather, even during summer!
7. Locale & Terrain Analysis
*Local altitude ranges between 2000-2800 feet at sea level (ASL)
The majority of Turkmenistan is a sparsely populated desert, with human habitation concentrated around water sources and major rivers- primarily, the Murghab, the Amu Darya, the Atrek, and the Tejen.
Many residential buildings or huts may be sandstone or formed clay in construction, particularly in smaller communities.
1st crop harvest is coming to a conclusion, so expect to see less green in some of the farming areas- others complete their harvest in early September.
Beyond central and south Turkmenistan, the country is predominantly flat/level, with only gradually rolling dunes as part of the Karakum Desert.
The land on and around the Southern Inhabited Shelf (SIS) in Mary Province, including the Kirov Plateau, as well as many large geographical features such as a valley & mountainous areas. The Kirov Plateau itself has several large areas used for cotton farming and harvesting, with long, open plains that can stretch for kilometers.
Hardball/pavement throughout the country is limited to cities, developed communities, and major national roads.
8-9. Recent Events Review
24 MAY - Rigged Turkmen election results declared Stepan Murtazayev, son of incumbent Turkmen President Usmon Murtazayev, the next president of Turkmenistan
28 MAY - Former Turkmen President Usmon Murtazayez assassinated in Turkmenbashi under cover of a violent demonstration
29 MAY - Riots and violent clashes as a result of growing food shortages lead to a massacre in Turkmenbashi; martial law declared; Turkmen Armed Forces mobilized as “peacekeepers”
04 JUN - Uzbekistan limits border crossings from Turkmenistan- impacting food shipments to Turkmenistan; US, UK nonessential personnel begin voluntary departure from embassies in Ashgabat, US Department of State (DoS) travel advisory upgraded to Level 3
29-30 JUN - US Embassy elevates to ordered departure of all non-essential personnel and dependants; US DoS issues Level 4 travel advisory & advises all current US citizens in country to leave.
02 JUL - Violence breaks out in Ashgabat, reports of infighting between Turkmen military units. UN Resolution 2637 ratified, authorizing the formation of armed forces as part of the United Nations Operation in Turkmenistan (UNOTURM) mission.
03 JUL - Capital fighting extends to other significant cities across Turkmenistan.
04 JUL - UNOTURM mobilization efforts are approximately 20% complete, with around 3,000 troops and supporting forces mobilized across southern Uzbekistan.
09 JUL - Live broadcast held by two senior members of the New World Turkmenia Youth Party, details new government & announces execution of Murtazayev family, including sitting President Stepan Murtazayev.
10 JUL -UNOTURM initial mobilization is complete, with approx. 10,000 troops staged in Urgench & 5,000 UN troops deployed to Bukhara, initial relief efforts begin in northern Turkmenistan.
11 JUL - Uzbekistan pulls nearly 2,500 personnel from its more than 3,500 allocated personnel due to national unrest throughout the Karabalpak region, diminishing UN deployment forces in Bukhara by 40%.
13 JUL - US forces seize three regional airports throughout central & southern Mary, paving the way for follow-on ground & air-assault forces as part of Operation CLEAR SKIES.
10. Current Situation
(CUI) The Turkmen Youth Revolution, which began on 7/2, has resulted in the systematic purging of Turkmen regime members, supporters, or benefactors from major population centers including the capital of Ashgabat, Turkmenabat, Turkmenbashi, and Mary.
Evidence indicates that purging ranges from forced relocation to extrajudicial killings and mass murder- both clear crimes against humanity as defined by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Those able to flee from their homes have either escaped across the Uzbek-Turkmen border to the north or remained in country & fled west towards the coast. The establishment of the “New World Turkmenia Youth Party” was announced in a broadcast on 7/10, hosted by two individuals identifying themselves as party representatives.
The New World Turkmenia Party is reported to have rapidly reorganized military and logistical capabilities in spite of the former government’s collapse. Chiefly, the New World Revolutionary Corps (NWRC) has been formed as the backbone of the party’s military and security forces.
NWRC forces are currently attempting to increase both numbers and influential control over unstable villages throughout large cities and inhabited areas, primarily focusing on recruiting support from armed militia groups which have emerged from previous resistance movements under the pre-revolution regime.
Judging by the efforts of the NWRC to recruit and train local militants, who range in organization and capability, it is assumed that they are aiming to secure stability in communities throughout the capital & Mary in order to gain legitimacy for their cause.
This situation for citizens affected by food & water shortages throughout Mary is desperate, with many teetering on the brink between capitulating to the local militia’s demands for cooperation and being forced to evacuate without resources and likely dying in the process.
13. Current SITREP: UNOTURM
“UN WHITE” is the designation for UNOTURM operations focused on the capital of Ashgabat and central Turkmenistan.
UN WHITE forces have encountered increasingly heavy and organized resistance from NWRC and local militias established across the northern villages and farmlands of Ashgabat, and seem to be conducting orchestrated retrograde maneuvers, aimed at either delaying or limiting the unimpeded advance of UN peacekeepers from the north. Resources and supplies remain robust, however logistical hardships due to a lack of rotary-wing aircraft supporting and streamlining aid distribution efforts is hindering the rate and speed at which aid can be brought in and properly distributed to locals.
“UN BLUE” is the designation for UNOTURM operations and efforts throughout Mary Province.
UN BLUE is currently holding in place across the northern end of Mary Province due to significant manning shortfalls as a result of Uzbekistan recalling of nearly half of UN BLUE’s allocated personnel. This has affected operations across the board and is expected to last indefinitely until further UN forces can arrive in Uzbekistan.
14. Short-Term Future Operations: UNOTURM
UN WHITE Operations in Ashgabat & Northern Turkmenistan
UN WHITE’s primary mission is to work in coordination with US forces’ 2nd Marines & 24th MEU to secure the northern end of the capital of Ashgabat, with the highest focus set on capturing and securing Ashgabat International Airport to enable the greatly expanded capability of relief and humanitarian operations throughout the entire country.
UN BLUE Operations in Mary Province
UN BLUE requires urgent US force’s assistance in delivering and distributing aid throughout Mary Province, as well as force projection maneuvers intended to draw local militia fighters being supported by NWRC forces away from continuing targeted and coordinated attacks against UN peacekeepers, made even more urgent with depleted staff across the entire UN WHITE mission task force. Once additional manning arrives to reinforce across the northern & eastern edges of the province, UN BLUE should be able to continue to expand its efforts in peacekeeping across the region.
UN SILVER is a third UN task force slated to be deployed once formed in the next 7-10 days to support humanitarian relief & peacekeeping operations across the western area of Turkmenistan & aiming to curtail the threat from TAF & Turkmen loyalist forces which have retreated from the east & capital towards the Caspian Sea.
15. Major Development - Ambush of UN Forces, 7/12
(CUI) On 12 JUL at approx. 1158 local, UN WHITE peacekeepers came under coordinated attack from multiple armed groups near the town of Zahmet, in northeastern Mary province.
(S) The ambush and subsequent attack lasted for around 90 minutes and drove both company-sized UN elements from the area until the following day when the UN forces returned to set up defensive positions to ward off further attacks.
(CUI) Thirty-six UN personnel were killed, with another 30 wounded & 11 reported as unaccounted for, either missing or presumed captured by the attackers. Numerous vehicles and supplies are also unaccounted for as a result of the attack.
(S) A video captured via cell phone from the mounted camera of one of the militants shows both the NWRC and an unknown militia group coordinating to attack UN forces.
16. US Operations in Turkmenistan: Operation CLEAR SKIES
(CUI) US Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCOS) had directed United States Central Command (CENTCOM) to deploy combat troops and combat support infrastructure in support of humanitarian and peacekeeping operations carried out by UNOTURM, which has been divided across two primary areas of operation.
(CUI) Initial force allocation has been set at 20,000 personnel, divided across two operational regions in country & each focused on the two cities (Ashgabat and Mary) identified as NWRC & militant strongholds, as well as their surrounding inhabited villages.
(S) Operation ARDENT GALE will task forces from the 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV) to secure the capital of Ashgabat in preparation for the arrival of UNOTURM peacekeepers and humanitarian aid to the surrounding city, who will then set up a semi-permanent presence in support of the capital in order to ensure stable grounds to reconstitute a functional government for Turkmenistan & enable the UNOTURM relief and assistance mission.
(S) Operation CLEAR SKIES will consist of a combined Army & Air Force airborne initiative whose focus is to destabilize and disrupt known and emergent belligerent strongholds throughout the southern inhabited shelf of Mary Province. The defining objective is to envelop and decisively defeat NWRC and any proxy forces throughout southern Mary Province, before pressing to support UNOTURM’s mission to provide direct support to the city of Mary.
17. Status of Forces Brief
(S) 82nd ABN has reported successful seizure and holding of all designated objectives, including Objective STRATUS, enabling 1-506th operations to proceed without delay or adjustment to the planned arrival date of 15JUL (top left image).
(S) 2nd Marines & 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are slated to initiate an air assault on a farming region east of the outskirts of Ashgabat at 2200 on 16JUL, establishing an operations base to enable coordination with UN “WHITE” forces (bottom right image).
(C) U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet (C5F) surface vessels have been maneuvered 15nm off the coast of southern Pakistan to provide aviation support and serve as the forward deployment mechanism for 2nd Marines’ air assault into NE Ashgabat.
(S) Current intelligence indicates an increase in Iranian Army (AJA) patrol frequency and the number of personnel along border checkpoints but does not currently reflect any attempt to amass forces that would indicate possible involvement or intent to intercede in Turkmenistan.
18. 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT ONE) Mission Overview
(C) US Army and Air Force operations will focus deployment of forces across the southern inhabited shelf (SIS) of Mary Province.
(S) Specifically, 1BCT will initiate combat operations in the valley network approximately 10-20 km south of the village of Kirov, near the southern point of the Kirov Plateau.
(S) Immediately following the airfield seizure by elements of the 82nd Airborne, 1BCT will relieve and assume control of Istochnik Regional Airport (designated AIRBASE STRATUS), establishing critical battlespace support functions to enable necessary support and combat operations to be conducted from the airport.
19. Force Analysis Overview: Turkmen Armed Forces
(C) Turkmen Armed Forces (TAF), also known as the Turkmen National Loyalist Forces, or simply Turkmen Loyalist force have spent the last week attempting to consolidate and rally whatever combat-capable troops they may have left which still hold loyalty to the previous Murtazayev regime, or to the country’s state of being prior to the Turkmen Youth Revolution on 7/2.
(S//NF) Source reporting indicates that TAF or other “loyalist” forces may have been issued orders to not cooperate with UN peacekeepers; US Marine Reconnaissance elements in country have confirmed evidence of Turkmen uniformed forces engaging UN peacekeepers west of the capital.
(CUI) TAF/loyalist forces should NOT be considered friendly forces. US forces should be prepared to defend themselves IAW theater and unit-specified Standing Rules of Engagement & Standing Rules for the Use of Force. (SROE/SRUF)
(S//NF) Any engagements involving TAF or other loyalist forces who operate under the same flag and uniform are reported immediately to J-2 Joint Intelligence via your local S-2 shop immediately with a detailed AAR of the engagement.
20. Force Analysis Overview: New World Revolutionary Corps (NWRC)
(C) NWRC forces represent the post-military coup arm of Turkmenistan, all of whom benefited from formal military training that ranges from local territorial forces, to infantry and combat arms, as well as special operations and military intelligence. The “New World'' stems their belief that in order for Turkmenistan to truly prosper, it must shed its Slavic influences and past connections alike, blaming the deteriorating state not just on those who supported the Murtazayev regime, but also those who lacked the will to stand up to it.
(S//NF) NWRC forces have been responsible for carrying out extrajudicial killings and mass murder of both captive TAF & similar loyalist-aligned forces, supporters, and even benefactors under the previous regime.
(S) Initial assessment strongly suggests that a rapid disruption of NWRC operations and influence can be achieved through US & UN forces’ ability to effectively distribute aid while providing security and protection against NWRC forces, as well as any militia groups who may proxy as security forces for the country.
(CUI) NWRC forces should be considered hostile & engaged under unit-issued Standing Rules of Engagement & Standing Rules for The Use of Force (SROE/SRUF).