ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) — The president of Turkmenistan has reshuffled senior security officials amid continued tension in neighboring Afghanistan.
State media reported Wednesday that Guichgelgy Khodzhaberdiyev was fired as head of the security services, a job he has occupied since October.
It said President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov also replaced the long-serving head of the state border service, Myrat Yslamov.
Little information emerges from the deeply secretive energy-rich former Soviet state, but changes among senior security personnel appear to reflect recurring anxieties about public order, particularly as the economy is experiencing a slowdown.
Despite concerns over unrest across its border with Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, which pursues a policy of neutrality, has rejected all international military assistance.