Crossroads Asia | Politics | Central Asia

Turkmenistan Dismisses 2 Top US-Based Diplomats After Decades in Office

After 25 and 32 years, respectively, Meret Orazov and Aksoltan Ataeva are out of their U.S.-based diplomatic jobs, allegedly for failing to score Turkmenistan an invite to the Board of Peace. 

Meret Orazov served as Turkmenistan’s ambassador to the United States since February 2001. His 25-year tenure came to an abrupt end on March 6, 2026, when a decree signed by Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhameov announced his dismissal.

The decree states, as such decrees almost always do, that Orazov is being relieved of his post in conjunction with “his transfer to another job.” Orazov was also concurrently ambassador to Canada and Mexico, and Turkmenistan’s representative in the International Civil Aviation Organization.

On the same day, another presidential decree dismissed Aksoltan Ataeva, who has served as Turkmenistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations since January 1994. Ataeva was also concurrently Turkmenistan’s ambassador to Cuba, Brazil, and Venezuela.

Diplomats typically serve terms of three to five years in a given country, before rotating back home or to another post elsewhere. While every country has its own system, it is extraordinarily rare for a top diplomat to have a tenure stretching into decades. As such, the dismissals of Orazov and Ataeva ought to raise eyebrows.

Orazov was appointed by Turkmenistan’s first president, Saparmurat Niyazov. Niyazov died in December 2006 and Orazov served on as ambassador to the United States while Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, previously health minister, ascended to the presidency. 

The Turkmen presidency became effectively dynastic in 2022 when Gurbanguly’s son, Serdar, became president. In January 2023, the Turkmen government reinvented the existing Halk Maslahaty, the People’s Council, into the “highest power” in the land, elevating it above the presidency. Not yet willing to truly retire from power, Gurbanguly remained chair of the Halk Maslahaty and therefore retained ultimate power. While Serdar has performed the duties of president – issuing decrees, attending important meetings, including the November 2025 C5 1 summit in Washington, and so on – his father keeps his own itinerary.

The Chronicles of Turkmenistan, one of the very few independent Turkmen media outlets, reported that the elder Berdimuhamedov had hoped to attend the Board of Peace meeting in February.

Turkmenistan’s state media outlet had reported on February 21 that the elder Berdimuhamedov had arrived in the U.S. for a visit. The details of the report mostly circulated........

© The Diplomat