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Our investigation begins in Istanbul, Turkey. We'll be boarding a plane here for one of the most closed countries in the world. Our destination is Turkmenistan and its capital, Ashgabat. Ashgabat! Turkmenistan is a repressive dictatorship at the very bottom of major NGO rankings for human rights and freedom of expression. Journalists can't investigate the country openly. So we're going there on an organized trip. My colleague and I are going to pretend to be tourists.
We've taken some little amateur cameras and we're going to try and get as much footage as we can. After a four hour flight, we land in Ashgabat in the middle of the night. Turkmenistan is famous for its countless absurd rules. The first. is the color of cars the dictatorship only allows white vehicles in the capital in the airport car park there are hundreds of vehicles all white it's all intended to impress visitors and it makes our driver proud
This airport cost over 2 billion dollars. And this fountain runs on solar energy, it's self-sufficient, but it has to be cleaned from time to time, because it's the first thing tourists see when they arrive, and if it's dirty, they're not going to be happy. We're staying in a hotel in the city center. The marble lobby is completely empty. We're in a group of four tourists. During our stay, we'll be accompanied and, above all, supervised by our guide Dimitri. You're no doubt tired after your flight. If you need something, let me know. Dimitri doesn't know we're journalists. He thinks we're just visitors and lays down the first rules.
Maybe the cafés are open until 11 o'clock? It would be much better for your safety if you come back before 11 o'clock. But it's not dangerous here, our special services are looking after you. Since the COVID epidemic, there's been a compulsory 11pm curfew for everyone, every night. Seen through the window, the streets empty very quickly. The regime keeps a very close eye on the inhabitants, and even more so on foreigners. The internet is blocked, making it impossible to communicate with the outside world.
We're going to have to be careful. We're trying not to talk much at the hotel, because we know that there are likely to be people listening. There's no internet connection, well there is a connection but it's an illusion. You can't access anything outside the country, neither social media nor newspapers. Nothing at all. You can't communicate with the outside world.
It's pretty scary, because it always seems as if no-one's around. But there are cameras everywhere. Our first contact with dictatorship. And it's just the beginning. Turkmenistan is a small Central Asian country with 7 million inhabitants, wedged between Uzbekistan, Iran and Afghanistan. Since its independence in 1991 following the collapse of the USSR, There have been three dictators who have all maintained the ways of the Soviet era.
Fraternal ties with Russia and its president Vladimir Putin, belief in secrecy, Don't take a picture! the cult of personality, He's the leader of the Turkmen people, and you can hide behind him, he'll protect you. and the accumulation of wealth by those close to the government. For 10 days we were able to film this country like tourists closely watched by our guides. Don't take a picture, it's not allowed. Don't take any photos. Switch off, please. We were shown all the highlights. Imposing monuments paid for by Turkmenistan's greatest resource, natural gas.
The Akol Teke, sacred golden horses, the pride of the country. We walked beside a 25 km long canyon. And visited grandiose mosques that were completely empty. But above all, we saw the face of dictatorship everywhere. Here, everything revolves around the country's central figure, Gubanguli Berdimuhamedow and his son, who have shared power for almost 20 years. This is his golden golf club! Straight into the bulls eye? Yes. But Turkmenistan is above all an authoritarian regime where speaking out against those in power can lead to the worst.
My son was beaten to death. We have nothing to eat, we have no work, and all the while they're building these gold and marble monuments with the money of the Turkmen people, who have nothing. In France, one of the most active dissidents is doing his utmost to fight against the Turkmen authorities. Since you've come to France, I'd like to talk to you. And he's running away! We begin our visit to a country no one knows. Do you have anything to say? No? Then you can go! In the hands of a ruthless regime.
It's the first day of our trip. As we wake up, everything seems very quiet. The capital's population is officially 900,000, but through the window we see only a few vehicles and no pedestrians. The hotel sets the tone. There are portraits of the dictator and his son everywhere. He's riding a bike. And now he's riding a horse. This is our second president, the leader of all the Turkmen people. Today his son is president, but he remains the leader of all our people.
He rides the pride of our country, the Turkmen horse. Shall we go? - Yes, of course. We're about to discover a city that's rich beyond measure. Those in power are obsessed with records. Everything has to be bigger, better, and more expensive than anywhere else. Our guide shows us what he describes. As a gigantic luxurious paradise. That's the Ministry of Health. They say the building looks like a cobra. And this is the International Oil and Gas Institute. Huge buildings go by, all marble and grandiose architecture.
The roofs of the buildings are all green or red, the colors of the flag. Another rule imposed by the authorities. It's like a dystopia, all the same houses, all the same cars, the city's super clean. We've been driving around for 10 minutes, seeing exactly the same houses. And on the main avenues, always only white or silver cars. Why are all the cars here white? Because our city is white marble. We're in the Guinness Record Book for the whitest city. That's the reason we want everything to be white, especially the cars. And if a coloured car comes to the capital, what happens?
You can use a taxi, ask a friend with a white car to drive you, or take a rental car. Ashgabat is collecting entries the guinness book of records and the authorities have used them in a TV clip. The record for the largest star-shaped building, the record for the largest horse-shaped stadium, and the record for the highest concentration of fountains. It's the capital of our country and we want to show it as beautiful as possible. This strange structure is another record.
This is the world's largest indoor wheel, 47 metres high. It cost 66 million euros Go ahead, don't be afraid! You can see, it's safe. It's all in white marble and it's the first time the guide has left us alone for a while, so we are taking a turn on the wheel and it's a bit rusty, so a bit nerve wracking. So now we're all alone in here, there's just us and as far as we can see, there's no one in the whole park, not a single human being, there's absolutely no one. That's the feeling we had since our arrival, Although the country officialy has 7 million inhabitants, We didn't see many of them in the capital.
From above, we could see huge gardens. But not a living soul from miles around. There was a weird feeling of being in a ghost town. Why is there nobody anywhere? We're a little bit far from the centre of our city centre, but people come here in the evenings. During the day, we see very few locals, whether in the street, the restaurant, or even the shopping center. According to the regime's opponents in exile, Turkmenistan is lying about its population.
Millions are said to have left the country to escape repression, Poverty and corruption. Which would explain this seemingly empty city. It's impossible to verify this information. The people we see most often are women, brooms in hand, sweeping the pavements and tending the green spaces. We stop to take a closer look at the monuments. There are very precise rules to follow. You can take photos from this part but not from this. You can film from this side, that's all!
It's a bit like that everywhere, it's difficult to work, because you're not allowed to go anywhere, you're not allowed to film anywhere. This huge mosque is a tribute to the first dictator who took power when the USSR collapsed in 1991. Before his death, feeling that his end was approaching, he had this grand family tomb built. This is the mausoleum where the body of our first president, his parents and his two brothers are buried. You can see that there are 4 minarets, each measuring 91 metres, because in 1991 Turkmenistan became independent after the end of the Soviet Union.
Our guide, no doubt to please us, would like to emphasize the historic links between the regime and one of France's major companies. His friend Martin Bouygues, with his French construction company, built this mosque, and also the Ministries of Defence and Justice, the President's palace, everything was built by Bouygues. So Turkmenistan is a little bit French? Yes, yes, there's a French side. You could say that your salary comes from Turkmenistan because we pay French companies.
The first dictator died in 2006. He was replaced by a former dentist who has taken the cult of personality to extremes. His name is Gobanguli Berimuhamedov. And he displays his power in impressive military parades worthy of North Korea. Greetings to you, honourable soldiers and commanders. Turkmenistan is my motherland! Keep to the side of the road. In the center of the square, there's a huge statue of him covered in gold. He's the leader of the Turkmen people.
He has chosen a nickname for himself: Arkadag, which means "the mountain that protects". You can hide behind him and he will protect you. In 2022, his son officially replaced him as president. But according to all observers, he still runs the country behind the scenes. It's Berdimuhamedov who is obsessed with records, to the point of breaking as many as he can himself. And now: Gurbanguly Berdymohamedov! In 2015, a crowd of over 4,000 broke the record for the largest number of singers in a round.
I have a glowing candle. The song was composed by the president himself. Our people are heroic. In 2019 he led the largest ever group of cyclists in single file, a record 2,000, through the capital. Sport! He is everywhere in the national press. The strongest in every field. A great builder. A precision marksman. A great sportsman, a bowler who never misses, and even an outstanding singer.
There's a dune in front of me, dunes everywhere you look. But the great leader doesn't just want to project the image of a friendly, smiling man. He's also a ruthless leader and wants his people to know it. On national television, he appears in sessions where he himself administers justice. Here, police officers are accused of corruption. Even though I had very good living and working conditions, I used my official position for criminal purposes.
The police officers were sentenced to several years in prison, and it didn't stop there. Still on television, and in front of an anxious audience who dutifully noted down everything he said, the president attacked his own minister of the interior, who was accused of being responsible. For your unforgivable conduct, I am dismissing you from your post as Minister of the Interior, and I am stripping you of your rank of Lieutenant General. I am also stripping you of all your decorations and transferring you immediately to internal affairs. Well, Mulikov? Have you anything to say?
No? Then get out. This was a session of public humiliation reminiscent of the great Stalinist purges. Two months later, the same minister appears again on television in a new staged sequence. Head shaved, head down and handcuffed. He's now accused of corruption. I am corrupt, I accepted large bribes. I plead guilty and regret what I have done. According to dissidents, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. This is a long way from the genial president. The great leader is keen to prove that he can also be ruthless.
Our guide. takes us to visit the National Museum. In reality, it's a building dedicated to the dictator, under heavy guard. We're not allowed to film, unfortunately they confiscate the cameras. In fact, there are women dressed in purple who follow us everywhere to make sure we're not filming. The museum is split in two. We were given permission to film the part devoted to the history of the country. There is a statue of Alexander the Great here.
He came here. And other relics of antiquity. But the other wing, which compiles the exploits of the nation's leader, seems to make the guardians even more tense. No pictures, but you can see here. No problem. We're going to have to film even more discreetly. Two floors are devoted entirely to the father of the current president. The country's grand master. It's his golf car. A good sportsman? - Yes. Is that his golf club? Is it gold? - Yes. The great leader is not only a sportsman, but also a scientist.
Wasn't he a dentist? - Yes, he's a dentist. But here he's looking at a chest X-ray. The visit continues with his other passions, It's funny though. Cycling, shooting. Did he do that with his gun? Did he hit the bull's-eye? Yes, that's right. But above all, horses. There are saddles and paintings. The Turkmen people were originally nomadic horsemen. The country has its own breed of horse, the Akol Teke. The great leader poses alongside them whenever possible.
It's one of the highlights of our trip. We're crossing the plains of the country to get a closer look at these famous horses, some of the most expensive and rarest in the world. We've just arrived, we're at a breeding centre for Akhal Teke, which is in the symbolic horse of Turkmenistan. It's the most important symbol, all the citizens of Turkmenistan have an Akhal Teke on their passport. And it is also, of course, the President's favourite horse. The Turkmen already rode these horses 3,000 years ago. They are famous for their coat, which sometimes appears golden.
First you have to feed him, he'll show you how, so don't be afraid. We have a proverb that says: in the morning, the first thing you do is go and see your horse, then your father and only then your wife and children. That just goes to show how important horses are to us Turkmens. That's the champion of Turkmenistan. He's a very expensive horse, at least $100,000. There are thought to be fewer than 5,000 Akhal-Teki in the world, but the president himself is said to own a herd of several hundred. For the President, the Akhal Teke is very important as a symbol of the nation?
Yes, that's for sure! Our president loves these horses. And to please the tourists, Our guides allow us to take a ride on this legendary horse. You have to be really flexible! Wearing the traditional costume, a jacket and hat made from sheep's wool, the papaka, a symbol of honour and dignity. It's really the whole package!
The great leader too never misses an opportunity to be filmed in this outfit. And on this animal, which links him to the mythical history of his people. He even broke another record in 2018. His own Akol Teki, which he had trained himself, walked on its hind legs for 4.19 seconds, a feat that is obviously listed in the Guinness Book of Records. But his passion for horses almost cost him dearly. In 2013, a major race was organised in which the president took part. For once. several foreign journalists were invited. The great leader won, of course. But at the end, in front of a large audience, dozens of men in black rushed in.
The president appeared to be unconscious. For several seconds, the regime held its breath. He was taken to an ambulance. Later he emerged apparently well recovered. The authorities did everything they could to prevent the images leaking. Everyone leaving the country was searched at the airport. It was a failure. The footage went around the world. Only the Turkmens didn't see it. And it was obviously censored on national television.
The instructions were to show only the glitz and glamour and always, whatever happened, to praise the dictatorship. This story is just like the regime, a sham. Welcome on board! Here's some sweets, you'll get some on the plane but I'll give you some too, everyone ready? Let's go! Behind the glitz, Turkmenistan is much poorer and harsher than the authorities would have us believe, and everything is done to conceal it.
It's a beautiful view, but at night it's much better! We find out the next day, when we leave Ashgabat, the capital. Please put your camera away! It looks like you're filming secretly. Those are airport security rules. Yesterday, a Turkmen woman just made a video with her phone, and the police came and took the phone away and erased it. It's against the law. Same rule during the flight. No cameras. This is even specified in the safety instructions. Sir, your camera. Switch off your camera!
According to the World Bank, per capita GDP in Turkmenistan is 8,000 euros, over four times less than the EU average. Opponents of the regime in exile point to mass unemployment and extreme poverty. Only a tiny minority benefit from the country's wealth. But obviously that's not what our guide wants to show us. We drive through the countryside. Passing a number of miserable looking villages without stopping. Finally, our guide suggests we stop off at a farm he suggests is typical.
It's located in the middle of the desert steppes of Turkmenistan, just a few hours from the capital. This farm produces meat and cereals. The pastry is a traditional sweet soft bread, it's traditional. It's eaten at weddings or offered to guests like you. And this is real camel's milk, you can taste it, it's not poisonous. It's like milk, but a bit stronger.
We soon realized. that we weren't on just any farm. The President awarded this woman a medal. A medal to congratulate her on having eight children. And in this little village we can buy traditional souvenirs. There are key rings, a few spices and also amulets that are supposed to protect you against all ills. Hello. It's good for your bones? Yes, if your bones hurt. And what's this? - It's to protect from the evil eye. With this, there's no need for traditional medicine! While 10% of the population is Orthodox Christian,
a legacy of the Russian presence during the Soviet era, 90% of Turkmens are Muslim. We set off for Turkmenbashi, a seaside town on the shores of the Caspian Sea. We immediately notice the difference from the capital. No more marble or grand monuments. The inhabitants live in dilapidated apartment blocks, most of which date from the Soviet era.
The rules also seem less strict. We pass a few colorful cars. In Ashgabat, it's all new and made of marble and gold, so why not here? Don't think we're taking money from here to fund Ashgabat. This region is self-sufficient, it has a lot of oil and refineries. It's one of the richest regions in the country. But there are no monuments here or beautiful houses like in the capital.
No, but here they don't want to show that this is a rich region. To show us how prosperous the region is our guide takes us to a sheikh but empty restaurant overlooking the water. On the menu, there's a local treasure. Here's some sturgeon! I hope you enjoy this meal, it's our local sturgeon! It's forbidden to sell or fish sturgeon in the whole of the Caspian Sea. The guide told me this earlier. So in fact, it's completely illegal throughout the world. So it's quite expensive. Enjoy your meal!
Our guide also takes us to a market to prove to us that the stalls are full. The food is indeed plentiful, even the most luxurious. Try it! It's real caviar from the Caspian Sea. - It's not bad. For 100 grams it's 14 euros, but for you, as I'm the one who brought you, the jar is only 11 euros. This pot is about 250 grams. About ten times cheaper than in Europe. But apparently not all the Turkmens take advantage of this, as the place is virtually empty.
According to dissidents, these restaurants and this type of market are reserved for a tiny elite and foreigners. That's 10 cents, it's not expensive! A man prevents us from filming. They don't like us filming, it could be a policeman or someone from the secret service. It's the same in all the markets we visit during our stay. What's going on? No, no, no, don't worry! They're not filming people, I've already warned them. It's hard to understand why it's forbidden to film a market, which is supposed to be a showcase for the regime. In the streets,
the locals look frightened as soon as they see our little cameras. Put down your camera! Don't take a picture! Do you understand why the people don't want to be filmed like this? People who live outside Ashgabat are afraid of everything. They think that you will show the bad side of our daily lives. To see the reality of Turkmen life, you have to get away. For a few minutes, we managed to escape our guide. It's the first time we've been on our own during our trip. We feel that the further we get from the capital, the more the pressure eases.
There are still police everywhere, but surprisingly it's a bit easier for us. We go into a grocery shop. Hello. All the products on display are well past their sell-by date. This one's been out of date since 2022, that's roast beef, 2022, 2022. In fact, everything on the shelves has been out of date for two years. What I think is that wealth is not as well distributed as they would have us believe. Again, 2022. It's a far cry from sturgeon on the terre cheap carrier We continue our little escape from our guide.
Hey there! In the street, a man greets us and invites us into a shop. Traditional Turkmen clothing is on sale there. That's lovely! I don't know if it's lovely. I think that I've already been very, very ridiculous on the horse. Does it suit me? I don't know, but he's laughing his head off! Does it suit me? We soon find out that the man who stopped us is not just a hat salesman.
I'm a blogger. - No! Is that you? - Yes. Could you show us? In the absence of our guide, we use a translation app. Usually in Turkmenistan, all social media are blocked. How does it work for you? How do you use it? This is false information, everything works here. Look, I have Instagram. Yes, indeed! YouTube. It's incredible.
A blogger in a country where the internet is virtually inaccessible and social networking is banned, a mystery. YouTube. WhatsApp! He's keen to make a TikTok video with us. God knows whether they're English or German. Where are you from? Excuse me? France? Italy? From France! They come from France, they're French, I don't like them. Behind his smile, the man is hostile. At the time, we didn't realize he was laughing at us.
I'm a man! You're not! You're not a man! Thank you all! It has been a pleasure To find out who this man is, and more generally to discover the true face of Turkmenistan, we have to leave the country. We take a detour to Turkey. We're heading for Istanbul to meet some of the regime's opponents. Many dissidents live here. They are keen to denounce the Turkmen dictatorship and its crimes. According to them, the authorities are guilty of enforced disappearances of opponents, rigged trials, torture in prison and forced labor.
These accusations are dismissed by the authorities. Mehmet and Usman are afraid to show their faces. They left Turkmenistan five years ago to escape unemployment and poverty. Coffee with sugar? Here. Even though they live in a foreign country, they feel they are being closely watched. There are men from the regime here in Turkey who follow us and when you criticise the authorities, they can kidnap you and deport you to Turkmenistan. I'm going to show you something. See this man? That's very important, because I met this man in Turkmenistan.
We recognize our blogger, the one who was having fun insulting us in Turkmen. This man is called Shatlyck, he insults and threatens dissidents. Is he working for the government? - Absolutely. He goes from town to town gathering information about people all the time. According to the dissidents, this blogger is one of the few who can use social networks in Turkmenistan. His mission is to attack anyone who gets in the way of the regime. On his TikTok account, where he has 130,000 followers,
we find the post where he mocks us. I'm a man, not you! You're not a man! But above all, there are many violent posts. Here he pretends to hit an opponent. And here he attacks the most famous Turkmen dissident in exile, Dursoltan Taganova. He imagines her face swollen. Then he openly threatens her. l'm offering $5,000 to the person who silences Dursoltan. You have three months.
Dursoltan Taganova is the regime's number one target and a symbol of the opposition. It took some time to convince her to talk to us. In the end, she arranged to meet us in Istanbul. She is suspicious of everything and everyone. The regime's supporters are trying to find my address. They want to find me and do me harm. Some would even like to cut off my head and display it in the capital. When I walk in the streets, I look around to see if there's anyone in front of me or behind me.
I don't feel safe, unfortunately. Back home, the police called all my friends in for questioning, and since then everyone has blocked me and no one speaks to me anymore. Dursoltan lives in a small, dark flat on the outskirts of Istanbul. She arrived in Turkey 12 years ago. Bilca! Hello my darlings! Come on, Bilca! Come on. Initially, she came to work and earn a living to escape poverty in Turkmenistan. But time passed. Today, she can no longer return to her country.
They're like my children, I love them very much, they console me because I've been away from my son for a long time, I can only talk to him by video on the phone. Dursoltan began by publishing videos against the Turkmen regime. Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov must step down! She then took part in demonstrations in the streets of Istanbul. Down with the dictator! That's when she started to be targeted.
Like the day she was in the middle of a video conference meeting with other opponents. They've thrown something through my window. The bastards. They think they're going to scare me, that I'm going to hide, that would be their dream. You don't scare me, you're cowards! But nothing can stop her. She continues to denounce the dictatorship. We show her the footage we filmed in Ashgabat, the Turkmen capital.
You filmed the capital. It's an empty city, with no people, no soul. They've built lots of buildings that are of no use to the people, spending millions on statues and so on. It would be impossible to say these things in Turkmenistan Major NGOs such as Amnesty international and Human rights watch ranked turkmenistan amongst the most repressive state in the world In Turkmenistan, I'd probably be thrown into prison somewhere like the other activists, their famillies don't know where they are, what's become of them, there are reports that many of them have died.
It's impossible to know the exact number of political prisonners in Turkmen jails. However, she regularly receives examples of abuses committed against opponents. Recently the story of a young judoka leaked, Suleiman Tursunbaev, 14 years old. Who refused to lose a fight against a member of the dictator's family. He was allegedly attacked by unknown assailants. He was seen in hospital a few hours before his death. His parents dared to testify in a video published on the internet.
My son came first in a competition in Ashgabat, he became champion and that's why he was beaten to death. My son dreamed of carrying the Turkmen flag to America and shaking hands with the President of Turkmenistan. According to Dursoltan, being abroad does not protect dissidents. She's certain that agents of the Turkmen regime are monitoring them here in Turkey. Ah is that the door? Who is it? I didn't order anything. A delivery on a bank holiday. Nonsense. He says he's a delivery man but I don't believe it.
I'm always like that, extra careful. I'll show you what I do when I go to bed at night. When I go to bed I always check that everything's locked, I always do that because I'm scared, anything could happen to me. According to opponents of the regime, The biggest lie told by the Turkmen authorities concerns the standard of living of the country's inhabitants. As can be seen in these videos filmed secretly in 2021, which we were able to obtain. The footage shows long queues outside state-run shops selling basic necessities at affordable prices. Stand back! Get back! As in the days of the USSR, products are rationed.
You sometimes have to wait hours to fill a simple container of drinking water. Dursoltan was struck by the riches on her arrival in Turkey. Could you weigh that please? Thank you very much! In her new country, she discovered supermarkets like this one. I'd never eaten olives before coming to Turkey, they exist in my country but they're very expensive, so I'd never even seen them. And now I eat them every morning for breakfast, I love them. When I arrived,
I was really surprised to see so much fruit and produce on the stalls and so cheap, it was incredible! In the region I come from, called Lebap, families only eat fruit once a year, on New Year's Eve. It is this poverty that has driven so many Turkmens to flee their country. Thank you! There are more than one million of them living in Turkey, according to the NGO Human Rights Watch. Economic exiles, although they're from a rich country.
We're back in Turkmenistan on our sightseeing trip. We set off for the country's most famous attraction. On the way, we see huge vats of gas and oil, hydrocarbons, a Turkmenistan's main source of wealth. We stop off at a petrol station for a demonstration. A litre of petrol here costs eight cents. Eight cents! Yes. It costs a few euros to fill up, and you can drive 300 km. But that's not all.
Turkmenistan has the fourth largest gas reserves in the world, just behind Qatar. A major source of wealth. The people benefit a little. Gas is almost free for everyone. Along the way, we pass huge yellow pipes that carry it everywhere. Even in the most remote villages, which seem deprived, there is gas flowing. And of course, there's also a statue from the Soviet era. And after several hours of hard driving in the middle of the desert. The road is rubbish! We arrive at Turkmenistan's most famous landmark, a hole.
Darvaza, nicknamed the gateway to hell, is a symbol of the country's immense gas wealth. There have been methane emissions for 50 years following an accident during the digging of a reservoir, so this crater has been burning for 50 years. It's 70 meters long, 30 meters deep In 1971, Soviet scientists set fire to the crater to stop a gas leak. They thought the fire would not last. Today, it's still as powerful as ever.
So there's gas burning all the time and there are a lot of toxic fumes. You smell it when you breathe, it gives you a sore throat, but mainly what comes out of the ground is methane, and Turkmenistan is one of the world's biggest polluters because of the methane. It's an environmental catastrophe. Because of leaks, every year the country emits 4.4 million tonnes of methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more harmful than CO2. But the authorities don't seem to mind. The site has been transformed into an attraction. Where meat is barbecued in the evening.
Put the kebabs in groups of 3 or 4. And where a small camp with yurts has been set up to welcome tourists. Good evening! Welcome to the Karakum desert! Do you know how many tourists visit this place each year? In all, there are 12,000 tourists in Turkmenistan every year, and more than half of them come to visit this very famous place. But now, I'm busy, I have to prepare two mattresses for you. With just 12,000 tourists a year, Turkmenistan is one of the least visited countries in the world. So, a little mattress, a little military sleeping bag and here we go.
A peaceful night awaits us in the toxic fumes. The gateway to hell also inspires the great leader Berdimuhamedov, who is always at his best when it comes to showing off. Look! Our dear leader is driving a powerful sports car at top speed! The difficult desert roads are no problem for him! Look how he takes that bend! This gas, which is abundant in Turkmenistan's subsoil, also enables the government to play a key role on the international stage.
We head back to Ashgabat. A quick stop at the car wash, They clean the car because you can't get back to Ashgabat, the capital, if the car isn't spotlessly white or, in this case, silver. The regime does everything it can to nurture good relations with the major powers. And as with every important message, a statue has been built. We call this monument the Arch of Neutrality. The Turkmens are a peaceful people, we have no need to wage war against anyone. But does that mean you don't have any enemies, only friends?
Yes, it may be unbelievable, but we're friendly with all countries, big and small, everyone. And if you come here with no bad intentions, just to visit and relax and have a good time, everyone is welcome, not just you. Turkmenistan presents itself as neutral, but some countries are better received than others. Important people from all over the world have come here to create a small forest in memory of their visit. In this little wood, a tribute to distinguished visitors, we find only authoritarian leaders. Former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, Belarusian Alexander Lukashenko Here is Xi Jinping?
Yes, the President of the People's Republic of China. Another nice person. I think he's intelligent. To be president, you have to be intelligent. For the European Union, only Viktor Orban, Hungary's far-right prime minister, is represented. His Excellency, Sir Darbier Imam However, since the war in Ukraine and the restriction on Russian gas imports, several European countries have been seeking to sign agreements with Turkmenistan. The Turkmen authorities are seen smiling alongside leading Western decision-makers. Here's Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor, with Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow.
Charles Michel, President of the European Council, with the new Head of State Serdar Berdimuhammadov. And Catherine Collonat, then French Foreign Minister, with her Turkmen counterpart. A rapprochement that infuriates the regime's opponents. In Toulouse, France, we meet one of the dictatorship's main opponents. Hello everyone! Maxime, please!
Come on please! The name of this Aikido master is Murad Kourbanov. The head of a security company, he is the Bête Noir. Of the Turkmen authorities. I've been in France since 2005. I was forced to leave Turkmenistan because I had a lot of problems with the state, I had to leave to survive. My aim is to free the country from dictatorship and free the minds of the people. Like all the regime's opponents in exile, When the knife comes, hold here.
Murat Kobanov is always vigilant. I've reported to the police that I've had a lot of threats. For the moment I'm protecting myself, I've learnt a lot of techniques to protect myself, I've prepared myself, we'll see. Murad Kourbanov despairs when he sees Turkmenistan warmly welcomed by western democracies. He launched the series of high-profile campaigns, to denounce the dictatorship. In 2021 in New-York with other opponents, he paid for a small plane to take the message into americans' skies TURKMENISTAN'S DICTATOR! SOS Just this morning, he and a friend have decided to take action.
We've been on the road since 4.40am. Now, it's 1pm, 1.30pm, we've arrived in Paris and now we're going straight to the meeting. In a grand hotel at Port Mayor, a delegation of Turkmen officials will be meeting French businessmen. Their aim Is to attract foreign investment. The meeting is closed to the general public. Murad Kourbanov and one of his friends will do everything they can to disrupt it. This one says 'stop dictator'! The two men sneak inside. We follow them discreetly, as cameras are again forbidden. You have to pay 2,000 euros to get in, there's strict security, it's strictly secret,
it's absolutely not a transparent country coming to present its oil industry. Do you think they won't let you in? No, they're not going to let me in, but I'm going to try anyway. At the end of the corridor, while Murad is talking to us about his government, Welcome to the presentation of Turkmenistan's corrupt government. he has an unexpected encounter. Hello, how are you? My name's Murad. Can I ask you a question? 2 Turkmen government ministers. This is our government. The Foreign Minister with another minister.
Are you embarrassed by my presence? - No, No. Since you've come to France, I'd like to talk to you! Don't go away, I'd just like to talk to you. In a surreal scene Turkmenistan's energy minister flees through the corridors. He's running away. This is what Turkmenistan is like. They've disappeared! He's running away! It's a race! But the race doesn't last long, as security staff intervene. Good morning. - You are not allowed to film here.
OK, I'm just filming, sir. - No, you're not allowed to film here. So that's what the corrupt government of Turkmenistan is like. Leave the premises, sir. son fils Serdar Berdimuhamedov. STOP DICTATOR! sanctions pour le dictat Berdimuhamedov et Gurhanguly Murad finishes his action on the pavement It's a febel result in the face of the power of the regime But he has made his protest nonetheless. Although he dreams of seeing the dynasty fall Everything seems to indicate That the future holds the opposite.
Serdar, the son, replaced his father in 2023. And recently, a new Berdimuhamedow has appeared in the official propaganda. The grandson, 22, is already being tipped for the succession. He's regularly featured in the press and on television playing ping-pong or tennis badly. He also loves cycling and music. Will he be as much of a megalomaniac as his grandfather? The patriarch has decided to build a city in his native region costing 5 billion dollars.
It will bear his nickname, Arkadak, the protector, and will be a monument to his glory. Here is a music and mountains and sea, beautiful sights of rivers and sky, all other beauties and Turkmenistan.
