Dog diplomacy: the rise of the Alabai in Turkmen politics

By Filippo Maria Margheritini & Tereza Dvorakova

Filippo Maria Margheritini is currently pursuing an MLitt degree in Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asian Security Studies at the University of St. Andrews. He obtained a BA in International Studies at Pepperdine University. Filippo’s research and studies have focused, among the others, on: Middle East, Central Asia, Chinese Foreign Policy, Energy Security and International Organizations.

Tereza Dvorakova is a postgraduate student of Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asia Security Studies at the University of St Andrews. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Security studies from Masaryk University. Tereza’s research interests include Central Asia, Conflict Resolution, Climate Change and Media.

On August 31, 2020, as the majority of the world was grappling with COVID-19, in Ashgabat the government of Turkmenistan established the International Association Turkmen Alabai. According to the Turkmen Minister for Foreign Affairs, about 200 delegates from more than ten countries participated in the online event. For those who follow Turkmenistan more closely, this news may not come as a surprise. As a matter of fact, the country’s leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has repeatedly emphasized the importance of animals as national symbols. On May 1st, 2020, the Association Turkmen Alabai was founded and in November, a six-meter statue of the dog was unveiled. Prior to the home-bred shepherd dog bonanza, Berdymukhamedovhighly privileged the Akhel-Teke in the national imagery, alongside the local racehorse, which received its own gold statue in  2015.

There are many logical reasons behind the tireless efforts to promote Alabais in such a grandiose manner. Politics is certainly one of them. As a matter of fact, the symbolism associated with the Central Asian breed can be deductively tied to domestic and foreign policy goals. In domestic politics, the Alabai can be perceived as an idiosyncratic instrument deployed by the Turkmen president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, to strengthen his legitimacy within the country. This comes amid the increasing potential for dissatisfaction among the Turkmen population as a result of increasing food scarcity and the dire economic situation. 

Meanwhile in the context of foreign policy, the Alabai’s glorification seems to be tied to a Turkmen animal diplomacy, which we could perhaps call dog-diplomacy. World leaders are certainly not new to introducing distinctive local animals in global affairs. Panda Diplomacy is possibly the clearest and most affirmed example of how animals are used as a tool for soft power within bilateral relationships. Even dogs have been used to warm relationships among countries in the past, Bulgaria and Japan both gifted Russia’s President Vladimir Putin with two national breeds prior to the meeting with his counterparts. 

I love dogs, so you love dogs 

Turkmen society has been historically based on tribes. Major changes occurred in the 20th century when the Soviets sought to create the ideal Homo Sovieticus. However, this process remained incomplete, depriving Turkmen society of a core Turkmen national identity. This put Turkmenistan into a difficult position after the independence in 1991. The disintegration of the USSR left three tasks for President Niyazov – to unite the tribes, to gradually de-Russify the nation and to create a Turkmen culture. The circumstances and the fact that the country was new provided Niyazov with the freedom to “deploy nationalising rhetoric and mythology as a means of legitimising his position”. Niyazov thus started to tie Turkmen history and culture to his persona, fostering a cult of personality, which culminated in Ruhnama, The Book of all Turkmen, where he proclaimed himself  “the Prophet of the Turkmen Nation”.

His successor, President Berdymukhamedov, continued in this trend, gradually replacing the cult of his predecessor. An example of this is the current president’s interest in health issues. Being a diabetic himself, looking after people with the same illness became one of the priorities in the country. Similarly, with the president’s passion for numerous physical activities, sport “exceeded to the level of national symbol”.

The same situation can be observed when it comes to the president’s love for Alabai dogs. Although the American Kennel Club claims that Alabais “unlike most breeds today, are not man-made or created by any specific person or country,” President Berdymukhamedov elevated the breed to a national symbol of Turkmenistan. He even published a book about the dogs and honored the animal with a golden statue. The government also opened a special Alabai shelter in September 2019.

The explanation why the Turkmen president promotes dogs may be found in his cult of personality. Political scientist Jan Kubik said that one of the explanations for Putin’s promotion of animals is to show that he is not a heartless dictator. This might be applied to Berdymukhamedov as well, especially if considering his numerous pictures with an Alabai puppy. Simultaneously, Alabai dogs are known as wolf-crushers, a strong and independent breed. These characteristics do work well for Berdimuhamedov in his efforts to promote himself as a wise leader of strong, independent Turkmenistan. Furthermore, the promotion of Alabais comes at a time of increasing food shortages in the country. Alabais thus seem to be instrumentalized by the president to strengthen his legitimacy and to distract Turkmen citizens from the day-to-day problems. 

Poppies and Puppies

In regard to foreign policy, Turkmenistan happens to be one of the most intriguing countries in Central Asia. Although the country is a UN Member State, it does not participate in any of the regional organizations in Central Asia, such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Nevertheless, Turkmenistan is a participating state in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and in the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), which is exclusive to the Central Asian republics. Curiously enough, the only ad hoc UN institution in the region, the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), has its headquarters in the Turkmen capital Ashgabat. As reflected by its participation in regional organizations, Turkmenistan has become an outlier in regional geopolitics. In addition to the comparatively low diplomatic interaction with the other Central Asian republics, Turkmenistan exports most of its natural gas resources to China, after a fallout with Russia in 2016.

Another peculiar aspect of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy, in addition to the rather low participation in international and regional organizations, is the relationship held with the Taliban. Since its independence in the 1990s, the country held relationships with all main actors in bordering Afghanistan, including the Taliban. Niyazov, the first Turkmen president, fostered “cordial political and trade relations with the Taliban”. Those ties also led to allegations of Turkmenistan’s engagement in illicit drug trafficking and allowing transit to terrorists on Turkmen soil. More recently, Taliban and Turkmen officials have met to discuss the ambitious Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan power grid as well as a railway project that would connect Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Within this unique geopolitical context, animal symbolism doesn’t only appear to be instrumental for domestic politics but also a tool in the country’s foreign policy arsenal. As mentioned above, animal diplomacy is a widespread practice deployed by different countries. It is estimated that this type of diplomacy has been used as far back as the times of Ancient Egypt when leaders of poorer or less developed states would seek to sway more powerful ones. In the aftermath of the Second World War, animal diplomacy was revamped as independent nations, no longer under the subjugation of Western colonial power, sought to represent their “national distinctiveness” and affirm their right “to be taken into consideration in the decision-making process”.

When it comes to Turkmen foreign relations, the Alabai took the center stage on previous occasions as two shepherd dogs were offered to Putin and Daniil Medvedev. That said, there are two aspects that make the International Association Turkmen Alabai intriguing. The first one concerns the list of participating countries, which includes historical and close partners like China and Russia but also France and Ukraine. The second and most curious aspect is found in the head of the association, who is nothing less than Turkmenistan’s leader’s son: Serdar Berdymukhamedov. Just last month, Serdar, who was Minister of the Industry, was promoted to deputy prime minister and chair of the Supreme Control Chamber. These positions would give him access to both the State Security Council and an influential role in the latter body, which checks the spending of public money. This recent appointment arguably comes as the last of President Berdymukhamedov’s acts to groom his son for a family succession.

Conclusion 

The historical disparateness and peculiar characteristics of the Turkmen Alabai not only provide a symbol of national identity to Turkmens but also an image of Turkmenistan to the world. On a domestic level, Berdymukhamedov seeks to idiosyncratically exploit this symbol to solidify his position. Meanwhile, in foreign policy, it is hard to gauge the impact of dog diplomacy. Yet, it remains fascinating to see a country with relatively little international engagement “open up” to the world through an international association for dogs. Whether a public relations stunt or a back-channel for diplomatic cables, what remains true is that Turkmenistan is a distinct player in Central Asian geopolitics. The oil trade with China, the relationships with Afghan actors and the prospects of TAPI set Turkmenistan apart from conventional styles of foreign policy and will certainly draw attention in the upcoming years.