Central Asia
Video Chat with People from Turkmenistan
A chat with someone from Turkmenistan might start in Ashgabat, the capital known for its gleaming white-marble buildings, or in Mary, Türkmenabat, Dashoguz or Türkmenbaşy on the Caspian coast. Turkmen is the main language and is written in Latin letters; if you know Turkish or Azerbaijani, you'll recognize quite a few words. Russian is still common, especially in Ashgabat, while English is mostly something younger adults have picked up, so short sentences and a little patience go a long way.
Turkmenistan uses UTC+5 year-round, so evenings there match late morning on the US East Coast and the afternoon in London. People enjoy sharing things that are distinctly theirs: Akhal-Teke horses with their shimmering coats, hand-knotted carpets with patterns that vary from region to region, the Karakum Desert and the Darvaza gas crater, and the ruins of ancient Merv. Food is a safe bet as well, from plov and dograma to gutap and round çörek bread baked in a tandyr oven.
Turkmenistan at a glance
| Flag | 🇹🇲 |
|---|---|
| Official name | Turkmenistan |
| Capital | Ashgabat |
| Region | Asia · Central Asia |
| Official languages | Russian and Turkmen |
| Currency | Turkmenistan manat (m, TMT) |
| Calling code | +993 |
| Time zone | Turkmenistan Standard Time (Asia/Ashgabat) |
How to say hello
A few words of Russian make a great first impression, even if you switch to English right after.
| Language | Phrase | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkmen | Salam! | sah-LAHM | Hi! |
| Turkmen | Ýagdaýlar nähili? | yahg-dai-LAHR NAH-hih-lih | How are things? |
| Turkmen | Sag boluň! | SAHG boh-loong | Thank you! |
| Russian | Добрый вечер! | DOH-bree VYEH-cher | Good evening! |
Tips for chatting with people from Turkmenistan
- Turkish and Azerbaijani speakers can try their own language first; Turkmen is related, and comparing words is a great icebreaker.
- Ask about horses. The Akhal-Teke appears on the national emblem, and many people have a story or a favorite photo to share.
- If you're chatting in English, slow down a little and skip heavy slang; it makes the conversation easier for both of you.
- Get their recommendations for Ashgabat or the Caspian seaside around Awaza; city life and beach trips make easy, upbeat topics.
Only meet people from Turkmenistan
Omlet matches you Worldwide by default. To meet only people from Turkmenistan, use the country filter, the only filter Omlet has:
- Open Omlet and press Country on the control panel.
- Search for Turkmenistan and select it.
- Press Start. Press Next to meet someone else from Turkmenistan, or switch back to Worldwide any time.
Your first day is free: you add a card through Stripe to start it, and nothing is charged that day. When the 24 hours end, the country filter costs $3 one time, charged to that card, unless you cancel before then in Settings (if you cancel, you can still pick a country until the day ends). It's not a subscription, and it stays unlocked on that device and browser. It doesn't carry over to other devices or browsers, and clearing your browser data removes it. There's one free day per device, home network and card. Payment goes through Stripe, so Omlet never sees your card number.
The filter works both ways, and matching can be slower when fewer people from Turkmenistan are online. Chatting itself is free, and Worldwide matching never costs anything.
Your own country is detected automatically and shown to the people you meet as a flag.
Neighboring countries
Turkmenistan borders 4 countries. Curious about the people next door? Meet them too: