Editor’s note: This is the second installment of Annasoltan’s two-part post on ethnic Turkmens in Iran reaching out to their compatriots across the border. In the first installment, she provided the historical and political context for the current situation. Today, we focus on one of the people making contact, a woman named Ejegül.

“Can the internet establish a sort of bridge between the two societies?” I ask Ejegül.

“Yes, the internet can unite us in terms of our thinking. We live under different political and economic systems. However, we hope that time and the Internet will bring the two societies, as well as the rest of the world, closer together,” she says. Since she first made contact, she and her relatives have made a number of friendships with people on the other side of the border, mostly among young people who know how to use the Internet. In some cases, they have even managed to meet in person.

While both countries are full-blown dictatorial regimes, Ejegül believes the Internet has had a greater impact on people’s lives in Iran than it has so far in Turkmenistan. After all, the Internet is just emerging in the Central Asian republic. There are also many more websites available in the Persian language in Iran than there are in the Turkmen language in Turkmenistan. Blogging and citizen media, which are currently on the rise in Iran, are still foreign concepts in Turkmenistan. And overall, the level of technological progress is hardly comparable: “Iranian workers have their salaries paid via the Internet directly into their bank accounts. People in Iran can pay their water, electricity and gas bills electronically.” Additionally, “the Internet is relatively expensive in Turkmenistan, and only a few people have access. In Iran, on the other hand, it is much more common, whatever part of the country we’re talking about. And the speed is much higher – every home has ADSL.”

Regarding the difficulties of learning the Latin alphabet, Ejegül admits: “It would be a lie if I said it was easy. It requires strong dedication, effort, and the help of another person. The Internet is useful in the learning process. Although I am at quite an advanced stage, I have still trouble with long texts.”

One of the factors motivating contact between the two countries is Iran’s historically discriminatory policy towards ethnic Turkmens. The Iranian government represses both the Turkmens’ desire for autonomy and their desire to speak their own language. “There are no schools for Turkmens that would educate them in their native language,” says Ejegül. This leaves the parents alone in their efforts to teach Turkmen to their children, which they consider a very important measure against the threat of assimilation in a country of 74 million. But in order to get into touch with Turkmenistan’s netizens, speaking Turkmen is not enough. It is also necessary to learn the Latin alphabet – and to know how to circumvent the necessary obstacles: censorship, filtering and monitoring are widely used in both countries, creating further barriers to the free exchange of information and opinions.

“We see a new opportunity in the recent promotion of the Turkmen language [versus Russian] in Turkmenistan. It is pushing our children to learn their native language and to develop similar thinking to Turkmens in Turkmenistan,” says Ejegül.

She concludes our interview with the following words: “Turkmenistan is our joy, our pride, the country of the Turkmens. We primarily want to stay in touch with Turkmens in Turkmenistan, but we also want to connect with Turkmens living in other parts of the world.” Fortunately for all parties involved, the Internet can play a powerful role in making this happen – and, as we see from Ejegül’s story, it is already beginning to do so.

PS: Ejegül also provided us with some beautiful photos of life in the “Turkmensahra.” Enjoy!