Can an independence day be changed?
Turkmenistan, located in Central Asia, gained independence from the former Soviet Union on October 27, 1991. Though, as of 2018, it has been changed to September 27.
With a marble oasis of a capital city and peculiar laws, Turkmenistan is understood as “the weirdest country in the world” by many bloggers and content creators. However, it is home to the Turkmen diaspora found across the world and they carry their identity with pride.
Turkmenistan’s Independence Day is a time of reflection and pride for the Türkmenler worldwide. Although we do not celebrate it in October anymore, it reminds how adaptable we are as the continuing lineage of nomads.
As Turkmens, we are proud of who we are, no matter where we live. Even our name, Türkmen, has a deeper meaning: Türk means Turkic, and men means “myself” in Turkic languages. So, Türkmen essentially means “I am Turk.” Yet, this can be debated. Since the Türkmenler were the first Central Asians to encounter Islam due to their geographical location, many Persians and Arabs would label them as the “Turks with faith” or the “Turks with iman.“ This is compared to other Central Asians that practiced Shamanism and Zoroastrianism at the time.
Türkiman became Türkmen.
Turkmenistan, or “the land of the Turkmens,” is a reminder of our homeland. Even for those of us who live abroad.
As a diasporic Turkmen who lives abroad, I often reflect on our heritage, culture, and the meaning of being Turkmen in the modern world. We’re a nomadic people, traditionally on the move, searching for better opportunities and lands. Turkmens are not just in Turkmenistan, but in places like Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and beyond.
Although this topic can be debated by many prideful Turkmens, there is no particular way a Turkmen should “look.” The truth is that there is no single way to look Turkmen. Our gene pool is incredibly diverse, mixed over centuries through different tribes like the Teke, Yomut, and Khorezm, just to name a few.
Despite the challenges our people have faced, from Soviet rule to the modern borders that make travel and connection more difficult, we remain resilient. There is a cultural revival and/or Renaissance occurring. In Turkmenistan, there is a movement to revive our language and traditions after years of Soviet attempts to assimilate us. The switch from the Cyrillic alphabet to Latin (used in Turkiye) is just one example of how we’re reclaiming our identity.
Türkmenler may be spread worldwide. Though, we remain united by our history, culture, and pride. We honor our ancestors, tribes, and homeland, even as we adapt to new realities. Happy Independence Day to all Türkmenler. We may be nomads at heart, but we will never forget where we come from.
