Mammetkhan Chakiyev. Photo: primeminister.kz
President Serdar Berdimuhamedow of Turkmenistan has dissolved the Agency for Transport and Communications and announced the establishment of three new ministries, as reported by Chronicles of Turkmenistan following an extended Cabinet meeting held on July 11.
As part of the reform of the transport and communications sector, the following ministries were created:
✅ Ministry of Railway Transport, headed by Mammet Akmammedov;
✅ Ministry of Communications, headed by Khadzhymyrat Khudaigulyev (six-month probation);
✅ Ministry of Motor Transport, headed by Begench Annadurdyyev.
In addition, two new state services were established:
✅ State Service for Aviation (Türkmenhowaýollary), chaired by Dowran Saburov;
✅ State Service for Maritime and River Transport, chaired by Azat Shanazarov.
The president also introduced the post of Deputy Prime Minister for Transport and Communications, appointing Mammedkhan Chakiyev, who previously led the now-dissolved agency. Chakiyev will serve a six-month probation.
Other high-level appointments include:
✅ Nazar Agakhanov as Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations;
✅ Tangryguly Atayev as Acting Chair of the State Concern Türkmenhimiýa, replacing Dowrangeldi Sapbayev, who was dismissed for «serious shortcomings."
President Berdimuhamedow also made notable regional changes by replacing the hyakims (governors) of two out of five provinces:
👉 Maksat Annanepesov was dismissed as hyakim of Lebap Province, replaced by Durdy Gendzhiev, who will also remain Chair of the State Committee for Water Management;
👉 Dowranberdi Annaberdiyev takes over as hyakim of Mary Province from Begenchmyrat Orazov.
Further reshuffles affected several district-level administrators (etrap hyakims) and university vice-rectors.
Prior to the agency’s dissolution, Mammedkhan Chakiyev presented a report citing that in the first half of 2025, the agency had fulfilled 115.7% of its planned volume of work and services. He also reported progress in some areas and the rollout of new communication technologies.
However, as Turkmen.news points out, despite officially optimistic figures, the real state of the sector remains problematic. Issues persist with corruption, poor service quality in aviation and rail transport, delayed highway construction, and inadequate regional telecommunications. The root cause is believed to be the overly complex administrative structure inherited from previous leadership.
The government hopes the new structure will bring greater transparency, clearer accountability, and more efficient oversight, potentially improving governance and service delivery across the transport and communications sectors.
