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Turkmenistan gov't seizes all black cars; owners ordered to repaint them white
The impounded cars were parked in the government’s parking lots and when curious owners enquired from the police, they were told that the cars would only be released to them on condition that they signed a document binding them to change the colour from black to either white or light.
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A report by odditicentral.com indicated that the unannounced car seizure began since the beginning of January, 2018 and owners have not been told the rationale behind the move.
Further reports also suggest that the impounded cars were parked in the government’s parking lots and when curious owners enquired from the police, they were told that the cars would only be released to them on condition that they signed a document binding them to change the colour from black to either white or light.
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The country reportedly banned the importation of black cars as far back as 2015, and customs officials were not in the position to assign any tangible reason to the development.
Subsequently, in November last year, Turkmenistan officials were reportedly ordered to use only white cars.
Though no official explanation has been made in relation to the ban on black cars, odditycentral.com reported some of its sources as having said the move was an order from the country’s president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov whose preference for white colour supersedes every other interest.
President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov would never want to associate himself with anything black, and for that reason, he reportedly wears white all the time and the entire environment around every event he attends must be decorated white.
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In 2015, when the ban on importation of black cars was announced, RadioFreeEuropRadioLiberty is on record to have said, “white has long been a feature of the carefully constructed personality cult of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov. The former dentist has draped his capital Ashgabat in white marble, rides white stallions, and makes appearances dressed in white amid white carpets and white flower arrangements.”
Aside the move having the potential to spark controversy about racism, it is already having a toll on the citizens. Prices of car repainting have skyrocketed as it has become compulsory for every citizen to do repainting.
A resident of Ashgabat reportedly told Radio Azaflyk, “When I came to the car service, I was told that the repainting my car would cost 7,000 manat, but in a week the price would rise to 11,000 mana.”
“My salary is 1,000 manat, so even if I save up all of it, I will be forced to spend all my annual income on this paint job,” the resident lamented.
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