Independence Day in 2025

When is Turkmenistan Independence Day?

Independence Day is a public holiday in Turkmenistan, observed on September 27th.

This national holiday commemorates independence from the USSR in 1991.

History of Turkmenistan Independence Day

Turkmenistan is the southernmost state in Central Asia and the second largest.

Throughout its history, the region has been conquered by such notable figures as Cyrus the Great, Alexander the Great and Ghengis Khan. The Turkmen people first arrived in the area in about the 10th century, though there is some debate as to where they came from.

Turkmens first came under the gaze of the Russian Empire in the late 18th century, but resistance wasn't finally broken until the Battle of Gök-Tepe (now Gökdepe) in 1881, after which the area of present-day Turkmenistan incorporated into Russian Turkestan.

After the Russian revolution, Turkmenistan formed part of the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR) in 1921, becoming a constituent republic of the USSR in 1925.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Turkmen Communist Party supported the failed coup against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, but declared independence on October 27th 1991.

October or September?

In a review of public holidays in Turkmenistan in 2017, it was announced that Independence Day would move from October 27th to September 27th.

This change was made so that Independence Day would mark the final day of the 10-day Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) that were held in Turkmenistan in 2017. The holiday will remain on September 27th in subsequent years to remind people of the country's achievements at the games.

The change also reduced the public holiday to one day, previously there had been two days of public holidays each year on October 27th - 28th to mark Independence.