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UAE Player Fails to Attend World Cup Qualifiers Due to Fake Uzbekistan Passport

On October 15 , Uzbekistan's national football team will compete against the UAE in the 3rd round of the 4th round of the World Cup Qualifiers. According to a report issued by the Uzbekistan Football Federation, Fabio de Lima, a Brazilian player in the UAE, will not be joining his team in Uzbekistan for personal reasons. It transpires that although Fabio de Lima received citizenship in Uzbekistan in 2013 and was registered as an Asian legionnaire in the UAE Championship, his documents were fake. Uzbek football specialist Alisher Nikibayev however, claims there is no legal reason preventing the player from entering Uzbekistan: “They are asking if Fabio can come to Uzbekistan. I don’t see any legal obstacle to it; it is unlikely that a criminal case was opened against him. In addition, it is necessary to check the statute of limitations for such violations. Don’t forget that Fabio, as a citizen of Uzbekistan, has never seen his ‘passport’ and, of course, has never used it anywhere. This fake document was only needed to enter the Emirates Championship. Why is he not coming? He fears the case is still open and doesn’t want to take any chances. As for his UAE passport, everything is legal in the Emirates."

Central Asia Uzbekistan Life & Culture International Affairs Business & Economy Uzbekistan Business & Economy Uzbekistan International Affairs

Alisher Usmanov Sues Journalist for Insults in Germany

As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Alisher Usmanov won a court case against the German TV channel ARD, after a Hamburg court determined the channels' broadcast accusation that Uzbek-born billionaire Alisher Usmanov had created a system of bribing the International Fencing Federation (FIE),unreliable. In his article “Doubtful judges in action at the Olympics – 5,000 euros bribes in fencing,” award-winning journalist Hans-Joachim Seppelt accused Usmanov of bribery and manipulation of judges in international fencing. According to the report, the court banned its distribution as “inappropriate news based on suspicion.” If the court order is violated, the violator will be fined up to 250,000 euros per episode or imprisoned. But Usmanov needed more and in an complaint submitted electronically to the Cologne prosecutor’s office on October 8, called for the journalist to be prosecuted. In a statement to BILD, Usmanov's lawyer, Joachim Steinhöfel said, “Mr. Seppelt and ARD Sportschau not only violated basic journalistic standards and the press code. This malicious and vile gossip- should be - punished. Seppelt only wanted to humiliate Mr. Usmanov. He had no facts. This is not journalism; this is shaming.”

Central Asia Environment Uzbekistan Environment Uzbekistan Life & Culture Local Politics Uzbekistan Home Uzbekistan Local Politics

Thousands of Red-listed Birds Released in Uzbekistan

In Uzbekistan's Karakalpakstan, 2,680 Wigglers (Chlamydotis macqueenii), have been released in the wild. The rare birds, on the verge of extinction and listed in the Red Data Book of Uzbekistan and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, were released on October 11 on the Ustyurt Plain in the Kungrad District. Authorities are now planning the annual release of 2,000 and 3,000 birds to support the population and promote the recovery of one of the rarest bird species in Central Asia. The Wiggler, a member of the bustard family, is so-called on account of the way it darts from side to side. Males grow to a length of 65-75 cm and weigh between 1.8 and 3.2 kg, while females are slightly smaller at 55-65 cm and 1.2-1.7 kg, respectively. Their upper plumage is sand-coloured, and white below, with a distinctive gray crest and elongated white feathers with black tips on the sides. During the mating season, the bird shows off its decorative feathers by raising its collar and making an “hrrrr” sound.

Central Asia Environment Kazakhstan Environment Kazakhstan Local Politics Life & Culture Local Politics Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan Reinstates Kulans in Wild Natural Habitats

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has announced the successful reintroduction of kulans — Asiatic wild asses — to the country’s Ile-Balkhash and Altyn Dala nature reserves. As a result of overhunting and competition for grazing with other livestock, wild kulans became extinct in Kazakhstan in the 1930s. To restore the species' population, long-term projects were implemented. Between 1953 and 1961, 14 kulans were transported from Turkmenistan to Barsakelmes Island in Kazakhstan and in 1982, when their number reached 200, the animals were transferred to the mainland Altyn-Emel National Park. Today, the country boasts two large herds of kulans in the Barsakelmes Reserve and the Altyn-Emel National Park, with that in the latter, numbering 3,965, representing the largest in Kazakhstan. The steady growth of the kulan population has also made it possible to resettle the animals in other historical habitats. On September 28-30, 43 kulans were transported from the Altyn-Emel National Park to the Ile-Balkhash Reserve in southern Kazakhstan and a further 24 kulans were released into temporary enclosures on the Altyn Dala Reserve in the central Kostanay region. In a move to reintegrate other indigenous species in the region, Kazakhstan has also reintroduced Przewalski's horses and Turan tigers to their historical habitats this year.

Cultural Heritage Silk Road Treasures Central Asia Life & Culture International Affairs

Scientists Attempt to Unlock the Secrets of Turkic Runes in Altai

Russian scientists have started deciphering unique Turkic runic inscriptions in Altai, dating back to the VI-X centuries AD. Speaking at the International Conference “Mountain Altai - the ancestral home of the Turks,” Alexander Vasiliev, head of the Oriental History Department of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, reported that whilst some 120 such texts have been identified, a significant number has yet to be deciphered due to a lack of "keys". According to Vasilyev, problems in evaluating inscriptions arise as a result of the different graphic systems used by Turkic peoples in various historical periods. Hence, researchers face a difficult task in making these texts accessible and determining the exact nature of the archaeological objects found. Historians also note that with the emergence of Mongolian vertical writing, the influence of the Turkic writing system began to weaken. Previous attempts to decipher these texts using Iranian and Finno-Ugric languages, proved unsuccessful. Assuming that the key to understanding the inscriptions lies in one of the ancient Turkic languages, scientists are now focusing on the Chuvash language, which retains ancient features, or the Kypchak language group. The decipherment of Turkic runic inscriptions began with the discovery of the famous Orkhon-Yenisei texts in Mongolia in the 19th century. In 1893, Danish scholar Wilhelm Thomsen was the first to successfully decipher these ancient texts using analogies to ancient Turkic words such as “tengri” (sky). These inscriptions, dating from the 7th to 10th centuries, recount the lives of the Turkic kagans and their victories. In addition to the Orkhon texts, significant inscriptions have been found in the Yenisei Valley and the Altai Mountains. An international conference in Manzherok, in the Altai Republic, brought together scholars to discuss not only the problems of deciphering the Turkic script but also the formation of the Turkic civilization and the history of cultural interaction between the Turks and other peoples, including Slavic cultures.

Cultural Heritage Education Central Asia Uzbekistan Turkmenistan Life & Culture International Affairs Local Politics Kyrgyzstan Kazakhstan

Turkey Replaces “Central Asia” with “Turkestan” in New History Curriculum

Turkey’s Ministry of National Education has unveiled significant changes to its history curriculum, replacing the phrase “Central Asia” with “Turkestan.” Experts say this shift reinforces national identity and instills stronger patriotism in future generations. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed the importance of the unity of the Turkic world: “We will work shoulder to shoulder to make the coming period the era of the Turks by extending our vision of the ‘Turkish Century’ to the Organization of Turkic States.” Professor Ahmet Taşagıl explained the historical meaning of the term Turkestan to TRT Haber. “The word Turkestan, meaning ‘homeland of the Turks’, has been used since the earliest periods of history. In the second half of the 19th century, due to the Russian invasion, the concept of Central Asia was introduced and spread instead of the name Turkestan,” he mentions. Associate Professor Ramin Sadık commented on the decision of the Ministry of Education for TRT Haber. “Our appeal to the concept of Turkestan and its inclusion in textbooks by the Ministry of National Education is a very correct decision. Both Turkey and Turkestan mean a region where the Turks predominantly live,” Sadık said. The expert notes that during efforts to create a shared history, geography, literature, maps, and alphabet for the Turkic world, the Ministry of National Education’s decision to use “Turkestan” in textbooks, even for children, is a significant step. He believes this change is a crucial start and a valuable contribution to Turkey, the entire Turkic world, and its partner countries. Experts say the change is part of a broader strategy to strengthen ties in the Turkic world, including creating a shared history, literature, maps, and alphabet.