Parents of conscripts from provinces who are doing military service in the Training Centre of Turkmenistan’s Interior Ministry in Ashgabat are allowed to meet with their sons only in hotels. They are not prevented from staying with relatives or acquaintances because of precautionary measures designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that the administration of the training centre requests conscripts and their family parents stay at specific hotels, for example “Siyakhat” (formerly, “Tourist”) and “Paitag” (formerly, “Ashgabat).
These hotels are indicated in conscripts’ leaves.Upon their return to the military units the leaves should be stamped and signed by a hotel receptionist.
According to conscripts’ parents, the hotel fare for the cheapest room is 60 to 65 manats per night.The total for three people (parents and a son) will amount to 200 manats.
Taking into account travelling expenses and a health certificate confirming negative COVID-19 testing, which costs 100 manats, these are substantial expenditures for residents of provinces.
For this reason people prefer to make arrangements with the hotel administration through intermediaries and get a stamp and a signature in the conscript’s leave for a fee of 100 manats.