Turkmen nationals who have fled Ukraine continue to arrive in Istanbul. These are primarily students, according to correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan”.
Those who arrived on 6 and 7 March said that they had taken a train to Bucharest. At the railway station they were met by officials of Turkmenistan’s Embassy. An announcement was made over loud speakers with directions where Turkmen nationals should proceed.
After the Turkmen nationals had gathered, an official from the Embassy said that they could take a bus to Turkey at their own expense ($70).
The second option was a repatriation flight operated by Turkmenistan Airlines from Romania or Poland to Turkmenabat provided there were at least 200 passengers. The price for a ticket, which relatives need to purchase in Turkmenistan, is 1200 manats. Turkmen nationals have to pay for their own accomodation in the country of their current stay and until there are enough passengers for the flight.
The majority preferred to head to Turkey by bus. Of those who have arrived in Istanbul most wished to find a job there instead of returning to their home country.
I no longer need to continue with my studies. It will take many years for the situation to be resolved and return to normal. I do not want to stay in Turkmenistan without a job all that time, – one of the students who arrived in Istanbul said.
Turkmen students who fled Ukraine.
Istanbul.March 2022
“Chronicles of Turkmenistan” learned that seven people of those arriving in Turkey had been sent from Istanbul to Tashkent by plane with assistance from Turkmen diplomats. From Tashkent they managed to get to the border checkpoint of Farap-Alat where a mini bus was waiting for them.
In Turkmenistan the returnees were placed in a quarantine zone for 14 days.
A few hours after the people arrived, officials from the NSM, public prosecutor’s office and the Interior Ministry had one-on-one interviews enquiring what people had seen and experienced in Ukraine, where they took shelter, how they were treated and how they got to the border.
They were advised not to disclose any information about their experiences.Finally, each of them was asked to write a letter of gratitude to Turkmenistan’s Embassy in Ukraine for the assistance rendered.
The officials of the law enforcement agencies ignored complaints that the Embassy had not provided any help whatsoever.
Meanwhile, Turkmen nationals who have been without any assistance try to organize themselves and help fellow Turkmen nationals who have fled Ukraine.
For instance, Turkmen bloggers make videos to tell about their experience of crossing the border and the rules of stay in Poland. Videos are posted on YouTube.
More is available on the Turkmen page of our website.
On 1 March, 2022 several Turkmen nationals arrived in Istanbul from Ukraine. It was also reported that one Turkmen national was killed in Kharkiv, Ukraine and another was injured.
In early March 10 Turkmen nationals, including a woman with a 9 month child, crossed the Ukrainian-Romanian border and tried to seek assistance in the Refugee Centre in the city of Focșani.
A 25 year old citizen of Turkmenistan, who had sustained a leg and arm injuries, was admitted to hospital in the Romania city of Sighetu Marmației.The post Staff of Turkmenistan’s Embassies request students who fled Ukraine to pay for their own repatriation expenses first appeared on Chronicles of Turkmenistan.