The State Border Service (SBS) ( tk, Döwlet Serhet Gullugy, DSG; russian: Государственная пограничная служба, ГПС) also commonly known by its paramilitary force as the Turkmen Border Troops ( tk, Türkmenistan Serhet Garawul; russian: Туркменские пограничные войска) is a

border guard A border guard of a country is a national security agency that performs border security. Some of the national border guard agencies also perform coast guard (as in Federal Police (Germany), Germany, Guardia di Finanza, Italy or State Border Gua ...

agency of the

Armed Forces of Turkmenistan The Armed Forces of Turkmenistan ( tk, Türkmenistanyň Ýaragly Güýçleri), known informally as the Turkmen National Army () is the national military of Turkmenistan. It consists of the Turkmen Ground Forces, Ground Forces, the Turkmen Air F ...

. It is currently a public service department of the government of the country and is under the command of the Ministry for National Security of Turkmenistan.

History

The service was established on August 11, 1992, by order of President

Saparmurat Niyazov Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov; tk, Saparmyrat Ataýewiç Nyýazow, in Cyrillic: Сапармырат Атаевич Ныязов (19 February 1940 – 21 December 2006), also known as Turkmenbashi, was a Turkmen politician who rule ...

, on the basis of the

Soviet Border Troops The Soviet Border Troops (russian: Пограничные войска СССР, Pogranichnyye voyska SSSR) were the border guard of the Soviet Union, subordinated to the Soviet state security agency: first to the ''Cheka''/State Political Di ...

in the

Turkestan Military District The Turkestan Military District (russian: Туркестанский военный округ (ТуркВО), ''Turkestansky voyenyi okrug (TurkVO)'') was a military district of both the Imperial Russian Army and the Soviet Armed Forces, with it ...

. Until 1997, the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan included the Border Troops of the

Ministry of Defense {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

, which were then transformed into the State Border Service. It cooperated with

Russian border guards The Border Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (PS FSB Rossii) (russian: Пограничная служба Федеральной службы безопасности Российской Федерации (� ...

who remained in country until 1999 as a result of a joint

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

Turkmen Turkmen, Türkmen, Turkoman, or Turkman may refer to: Peoples Historical ethnonym * Turkoman (ethnonym), ethnonym used for the Oghuz Turks during the Middle Ages Ethnic groups * Turkmen in Anatolia and the Levant (Seljuk and Ottoman-Turkish desc ...

agreement on the protection of the state border of

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the sout ...

, which was signed in 1993. It slowly evolved to meet the standards of its counterparts, with the DSG being allowed to inspect goods and other items transported across the border of

in April 1998. At the end of 2001, 3 new border detachments were created, with 2 (in Kushka and

Köýtendag Köýtendag is a city and the administrative center of Köýtendag District in Lebap Province, Turkmenistan. On 29 December 1999, by Parliamentary Resolution No. HM-61, the city and district of Çarşangy (sometimes rendered as "Charshangy") were ...

), being intensified the cover of the

Afghan Afghan may refer to: *Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia *Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity ** Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pas ...

border to prevent

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...

fighters from taking refuge in the country during the

War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) *Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see als ...

. Recently, the service created a separate naval border patrol division stationed in Turkmenbashi. In 2014, there were several incidents for the service along the

Afghanistan–Turkmenistan border The Afghanistan–Turkmenistan border is in length and runs from the tripoint with Iran to the tripoint with Uzbekistan. Description The border starts at the tripoint with Iran on the Tedzhen river. Then proceeds eastwards in a series of mostly ...

, including one in February when Turkmen border guards killed a militant who crossed the border illegally and in retaliation three Turkmen border guards were killed later that month. Later that May, three Turkmen guards were killed by an armed group crossing the border from

Ghormach District Ghormach ( ps, غورماچ ولسوالۍ) is a district situated in the north of Badghis Province, Afghanistan. The district centre is Ghormach. Demographics The estimated population of Ghormach District in 2003 was roughly 52,566. Based upon ...

, Afghanistan.

Responsibilities

The main tasks of the service include the following: * Protecting of the national border of the country * Combating

international terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...

and

drug trafficking A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...

* Targeting illegal migration and

human trafficking Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extrac ...

* Protecting oil and gas platforms and pipelines in the Turkmen sector of the

Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia ...

. The head of the service is a member of the Council of Border Guard Commanders of the

Commonwealth of Independent States The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an area of and has an estimated population of 239,796,010. ...

(CIS).

Structure

Ahal Velayat Hippodrome - Flickr - Kerri-Jo (89) (cropped)

* Central Office * Border Troops ** Headquarters of the Border Troops of Turkmenistan ***

Atamurat Kerki is a city in and capital of Kerki District, Lebap Province, Turkmenistan. It was formerly known as Zamm and, between 1999 and 2017, as Atamyrat. Geography It is situated on a plain on the left bank of the Amu Darya river. Nearby towns a ...

Border Detachment **** Border Outpost "Syakhralyk" ***

Ashgabat Ashgabat or Asgabat ( tk, Aşgabat, ; fa, عشق‌آباد, translit='Ešqābād, formerly named Poltoratsk ( rus, Полтора́цк, p=pəltɐˈratsk) between 1919 and 1927), is the capital and the largest city of Turkmenistan. It lies ...

Border Detachment **** Border Outpost "Archabil" **** Border Outpost "Asuda" **** Border Outpost "Bagir" **** Border Outpost "Bitaraplyk" **** Border Outpost "Vatan" **** Border Outpost "Gindivar" ***

Balkanabat , other_name = Neftedag Nebit-Dag , image_skyline = , image_flag = , image_seal = , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Turkmenist ...

Training Border Detachment *** Bakharly Border Detachment ***

Garabogaz Garabogaz () is a city subordinate to Turkmenbashy District, Balkan province, Turkmenistan, on the shore of the Caspian Sea. Until 2002, the municipality had the status of a town and was named ''Bekdaş'' . Etymology The city takes its name fr ...

Border Detachment *** Dashoguz Border Detachment *** Kaakhki Border Detachment **** Border Outpost "Aksuv" **** Border Outpost "Yashlyk" *** Makhtumkuli Border Detachment ***

Serakhs Sarahs (, also written Saraghs, Serahs, Sarakhs, Saragt, or Serakhs, the last a backformation of russian: Серахс) is an oasis city in Ahal Province, Turkmenistan, and the administrative center of Sarahs district ( tk, Sarahs etraby). It is ...

Border Detachment **** Border Outpost "Incirli" ***

Serhetabat Serhetabat (formerly Gushgy) ( tk, Guşgy; russian: Кушка, Kushka) is a city in Tagtabazar District, Mary Province, Turkmenistan. Serhetabat lies in the valley of the Kushka River. The population was 5,200 in 1991. It is immediately opposite ...

Border Detachment **** Border Outpost "Medesan" *** Takhtabazar Border Detachment **** Border Outpost "Watanchi" **** Border Outpost "Garavulkhana" **** Border Outpost "Murghab" **** Border Outpost "Pendy" *** Turkmenabat Border Detachment ***

Esenguly Esenguly (formerly Hasan-Kuly, Gasan-Kuli) is a city in and administrative center of Esenguly District, Balkan Province, Turkmenistan. In 1989 its population was 5,823. Etymology The name is of obscure origin. A clan of that name, part of the Yo ...

Border Detachment *** Etrek Border Detachment ***

Border Detachment *** Separate Maritime Border Guard Detachment ( Turkmenbashi) *** 17th Separate Border Aviation Regiment (

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

) * Music Group "Border Sounds" * Turkmen Alabai Center *

Turkmen State Border Service Institute Turkmen State Border Service Institute () is an educational institution that specializes in the training of personnel of the State Border Service of Turkmenistan and the Turkmen Border Troops. The institute is one of many Turkmen military acade ...

Independence Day Parade - Flickr - Kerri-Jo (32)

Breastplate "Valiant Border Guard"

The Breastplate "Valiant Border Guard" is the state medal designed to honour members of the DSG. It consists of medals in both the first and second degrees. It has the shape of a regular green octagon, which is one of the main elements of the State

Emblem of Turkmenistan An emblem is an abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a king or saint. Emblems vs. symbols Although the words ''emblem'' and '' symbol'' are often us ...

, inscribed in an circle with a diameter of 40 mm. It was created on 20 December 2005.

Leadership

* Colonel General Akmurad Kabulov (1992 – 1999) * Major General Tirkish Tyrmyev * Major General

Agageldi Mammetgeldiyev Army General Agageldi Mammetgeldiyevich Mammetgeldiyev ( Turkmen: Agageldy Mämmetgeldiýewiç Mämmetgeldiýew; Born: September 10, 1946 in Ashgabat) is a Turkmen military officer who served as Minister of Defense of Turkmenistan from 2003 to 200 ...

(2002 – 2003) * Major General Annageldy Gummanov (2003) * Major General Annaur Atzhanov (2003 – 2004) * Lieutenant General Orazberdy Soltanov (2014 – 2006) * Major General Bayram Alovov (2006 – 2009) * Lieutenant General Myrat Islamov (2009 – 2012) * Major General Aman Garayev (2012 – 2013) * Lieutenant General Myrat Islamov (2013 – 2016) * Major General

Begench Gundogdyev Lieutenant General Begench Atayevich Gundogdyev ( tk, Begenç Ataýewiç Gündogdyýew, russian: Бегенч Атаевич Гундогдыев) is a Turkmen general and politician who currently serves as the 10th Minister of Defense of Turkm ...

(2016 – 2018) * Colonel Shadurdy Durdyyev (2018 – 2021) * Colonel Yazgeldi Bashimovich Nuryyev ( tk, Ýazgeldi Bäşimowiç Nuryýew) (2021–present)

References