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“They offer these deals to make it impossible for you to leave the country.” In Arkadag, Turkmenistan

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Turkmenistan wants to forcefully inhabit the city of Arkadag, which was built at the whim of the former president. Employees of budgetary institutions are forced to take out loans to buy an apartment, which binds them to the city forever, Radio Swoboda reported.

– Meetings are organized with teachers, employees of libraries, the cultural center, regional authorities and municipal services of the city of Arkadag, during which the heads of the organizations encourage people to buy apartments in the city – an employee of one of the budget organizations said in an interview with Radio Svoboda on condition of anonymity.

The heads of these institutions encourage employees of the public sector to take out mortgage loans.

Arkadag – apartment, job, loan

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Employees are offered a mortgage loan for 20 years, with a mandatory term own contribution in the amount of PLN 75,000 to PLN 80,000. manat (one manat is officially 0.3 dollars, but in practice this exchange rate does not apply, on the black market a manat costs 10 times more). – In the first five years, 500 manats will be deducted from their salary, and then – 1,800 – said a teacher from one of the schools in Arkadag.

Meanwhile, the earnings of budget sector workers in Arkadag range from 500 to 2,500 manats. Most of them rent apartments in neighboring villages and commute to Arkadag to work.

Moreover, in the contract accompanying the purchase of an apartment, to which employees of the budget sector are “encouraged”, there is a clause stating that if the employee resigns from work before repaying the entire amount of the mortgage loan, it will be considered a breach of the contract, and the purchased apartment will be taken away from him and the paid so far, the amount will not be returned to him.

– The authorities want to tie families to one place and offer such contracts to prevent citizens from leaving the country. They want citizens to be indebted to the state for the rest of their lives and to be dependent on it,” said a budget employee.

Arkadag, TurkmenistanBaris Oral/Anadolu via Getty Images

The whim of the former president of Turkmenistan

Radio Swoboda noted that its reporters were unable to obtain comments on the described situation from representatives of the local authorities. However, it recalled that it had already been reported that entrepreneurs were forced to buy real estate in this city, and wealthy citizens were promised – when purchasing real estate – not to look into the sources of income and exemption from certain taxes.

The city of Arkadag is the apple of former president Gurbanguly Berdimukhamedov's eye, and Turkmenistan is one of the most authoritarian countries in the world. The city is a whim of the former ruler, who in 2022 ceded power in the country to his son, Serdar, and he himself is to control the country “from the backseat”.

About the city of Arkadag

Construction of Arkadag began in 2019. The name of the city means “patron, protector” in Turkmen – this is the title that Gurbanguly Berdimukhamedov gave himself during his reign (2006-2022).

In 2023, the former president founded the FK Arkadag football club, which, thanks to the games skillfully managed by the authorities and bringing the best players from all over the country to the club, won the Turkmenistan league in the first season of its existence, winning all matches in the competition. A year later he repeated this feat.

It is also known that Berdimukhamedov senior is building a mausoleum in Arkadag, the cost of which is difficult to estimate. The mosque itself, located next to the complex, is expected to cost $400 million. Both buildings are supposed to look “luxurious”.

Turkmen authorities and official media present Arkadag as the first “smart city” in the country. When it was put into use, it was reported that all buildings in Arkadag were white and all apartment blocks had seven floors. Only electric vehicles are allowed there, and ultimately the city is to be powered by solar energy and have “smart” houses that residents will be able to control using their smartphones.

However, the reality is completely different, and there is a shortage of people willing to live in the show city.

Main photo source: Baris Oral/Anadolu via Getty Images



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