Cities of Turkmenistan

A şäher, translated as "city," is the most important form of third-level administrative division of Turkmenistan. In theory, a şäher should be more populated than a şäherçe ("town") or a geňeşlik ("rural councils"). In some cases, a şäher may include towns or villages ("oba" / pl. "obalar") within its boudaries.

In Turkmenistan, municipalities with a city status are established by law. Cities fall into three categories:

  • Cities equivalent to a province, a status claimed by Aşgabat only.
  • Cities with a district status, "etrap hukukly." Those cities must have a population over 30,000 and fulfill an administrative, an economic or a cultural role within its province. There are 7 of them.
  • Cities within a district. Those cities must have a population over 8,000 and possess some of the following actors or structures: Industrial enterprises, construction and transport organizations, utilities, municipally-owned housing stock, socio-cultural institutions, trade and social services. There are 44 of them.

Cities with district status, along with regular districts, are headed by a presidentially appointed häkim, translated as "governor" or "mayor" in the case of a city. Three cities in Turkmenistan, Aşgabat, Arkadag, and Turkmenbaşy, are further subdivided into boroughs with district status, each of them having its own häkim. Cities within a district are subordinated to the district's institutions and are administered jointly. Those cities are headed by a geňeş, an elected council chaired by an arçyn ("elder") who serves as both chairman and mayor.

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