TERRITORIAL DEFENCE PROBLEMS OF TURKMENISTAN

The article deals with the situation on the border of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. It is said that at the beginning of 2015 the situation on the border of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan worsened. In Afghanistan near the border with Turkmenistan a large force of insurgents began to concentrate. At the end of April 2015 the Taliban announced a spring offensive against government forces. Throughout May and June there were regular reports of violent clashes between the Taliban and Afghanistan’s forces in neighbouring Turkmenistan provinces of Herat and Badghis. Taliban forces tried to break into the territory of Turkmenistan but were stopped by the Turkmen troops. In this context, ethnic Turkmens in Afghanistan have formed militia groups to fight Taliban militants. Turkmenistan, for its part, began to try to respond to these new threats. The article refers to actions undertaken by the Turkmen authorities to ensure security on the border with Afghanistan.