The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan has issued a strongly worded statement condemning what it described as "biased reporting by Ukrainian media outlets."
The protest was directed specifically at a report aired on July 8 by the Ukrainian TV channel FREEДОМ, which criticized Turkmenistan’s alleged restrictions on internet access. According to Orient.tm, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry expressed “deep incomprehension” at the channel’s right to make such claims, especially given that its representatives have “never visited Turkmenistan, have no real understanding of the country, and maintain no contact with Turkmen government institutions, civil society organizations, or Turkmen journalists.”
The ministry emphasized that this was not the first instance of FREEДОМ broadcasting “deliberately distorted and misleading information about Turkmenistan,” accusing the channel of disinforming its audience.
The statement also highlighted what the ministry described as a backdrop of long-standing economic and humanitarian support provided by Turkmenistan to Ukraine throughout its independence. This includes the export of significant volumes of natural gas to Ukraine starting in the 1990s, as well as the implementation of multi-billion-dollar projects by Ukrainian companies across various sectors in Turkmenistan.
Underscoring the principle of reciprocity in international relations, the Foreign Ministry noted: “Given this context, certain Ukrainian media outlets should remember a simple truth — goodwill should be met with goodwill, not the opposite.”
In conclusion, the Turkmen side called on the relevant Ukrainian state institutions responsible for media policy to take “appropriate measures in accordance with Ukrainian law” to prevent similar incidents in the future.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
July 9, 2025