As reported by New Eurasia, Turkish President Abdullah Gül – during a three-day official visit to Turkmenistan – proposed the reinstatement of the project of a gas pipeline running from Turkmenistan to Turkey via Iran, with annual capacity of 16 billion cubic metres of gas.  However, as the article notes, Gül’s visit was about more than just the gas issue, specifically the need to restore Turkey’s historical role as a leading business partner of Turkmenistan:

“….Turkey holds a stable 4th place in Turkmenistan’s exports and 1st place in Turkmenistan’s imports. Trade turnover between the two states exceeded US $ 1.1 billion in the first ten months of 2007. 428 enterprises with Turkish capital were registered in Turkmenistan. This is 33% of all foreign companies registered in Turkmenistan. Currently around 700 Turkmen students are studying in the higher educational institutions in Turkey.

The problem is that Turkmenbashi’s death and Berdymukhammedov’s seizure of power has put Turkish businessmen operating in Turkmenistan in a difficult position. Making a lucrative offer to a Turkmen partner and signing a contract is not a prerequisite sufficient to gain access to the Turkmen market, the prospective investor must also contact the president. Only after the president accepts him and the proposed amount of money, may a businessman enter the market. With the appearance of a new leader, all contacts had to be renewed. But Berdymukhammedov was not going to continue all “acquaintances” of his predecessor.

The process turned out painful for some Turkish businessmen, e.g. a Niyazov’s “favourite” Akhmed Chalyk, the owner of one of the biggest companies in Turkmenistan, who enjoyed the confidence of the “serdar” himself. As the now exiled ex-ambassador of Turkmenistan to Turkey Nurmukhammed Khanamov said in an interview for Deutsche Welle, Chalyk was involved in money laundering at Niyazov’s orders. Detained for 12 days during his last visit to Ashgabat, he was released only after the intervention of the Turkish government. Supposedly, those who detained him wanted to gain information about foreign bank accounts where Turkmenbashi kept his money. Currently Chalyk as well as many other Turks remain personae non gratae in Turkmenistan.”