Turkmenistan Removes Ambassador to France

Turkmenistan’s ambassador to France, Shohrat Jumayev, was officially stripped of his post on August 18, according to a well informed turkmen.news source in the Foreign Ministry in Ashgabat. Later that evening the official media confirmed the news.

Jumayev first made headlines in May this year, when his wife and daughter, 19, reported him to the French police for domestic violence. The embassy subsequently denied the report.

This was not the end of the matter, however. It soon emerged that Jumayev’s wife and daughter had applied for political asylum in France.

On June 11, Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov invited the French ambassador to Turkmenistan, Isabelle Guisnel, to the Foreign Ministry. According to a turkmen.news source in the ministry, the only topic of conversation at the meeting was the search for an acceptable solution to Turkmen Ambassador Shohrat Jumayev’s family situation. The meeting took place the day after turkmen.news reported that Jumayev’s wife and daughter had gone to the police.

Evidently, it was not possible to sweep the affair under the carpet. Ashgabat decided to recall the diplomat, rather than wait for him to be expelled from the country. According to the turkmen.news source, Jumayev’s wife and daughter will stay in Paris.

Turkmen.news backgrounder: Shohrat Durdykulievich Jumayev was first mentioned in the press as Turkmenistan’s consul in Turkey. Then in 2008 he was appointed ambassador to Armenia. In 2010 he was appointed ambassador to Romania, and in 2013 became ambassador to Croatia at the same time. At the end of 2018 Jumayev became ambassador to both France and Portugal. In May 2019 he was also appointed Turkmenistan’s permanent representative to UNESCO.