Turkmenistan’s only mobile operator, Altyn Asyr, enjoys an undisputed monopoly despite frequent complaints about poor service and exorbitant prices. Though its shareholders are not publicly named, reporters learned that it is run by a member of the president’s family.
For most people in Turkmenistan, Shyhmyrat Shaharliyev is an unknown figure. His name barely appears online, he eschews social media, and he seems never to have made any public appearances.
But Shaharliyev has a greater influence on the day-to-day lives of ordinary Turkmens than most realize. He is the secretive general director of Altyn Asyr (“Golden Age”), the only mobile operator in Turkmenistan, where telecommunications are closely monitored and censored. He’s also married to the niece of longtime dictator Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who ceded the presidency to his son Serdar earlier this month.
Turkmen citizens regularly complain about the slow and overpriced telecom services provided by Altyn Asyr, which operates under the brand name TM Cell. Even Berdimuhamedov has criticized its service and accused its former managers of incompetence.
But a new investigation by OCCRP, Turkmen.News, and Gundogar.org indicates that the poor service isn’t the result of a lack of investment. In 2011 and 2012, Berdimuhamedov authorized spending over $170 million to overhaul the company’s communications infrastructure.
After the investment was approved, Berdimuhamedov signed another decree, transforming the state-owned enterprise into a closed joint-stock company that keeps its shareholders secret.
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