| Agency Name: | Ministry of Defence of Turkmenistan |
| Seal: | Roundel of Turkmenistan.svg |
| Picture Caption: | Turkmen Defense Ministry |
| Formed: | 27 January 1992[1] |
| Minister1 Name: | Major General Begenç Gündogdyýew |
| Jurisdiction: | President of Turkmenistan Government of Turkmenistan |
| Headquarters: | 4 Galkynysh Street, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan |
| Chief1 Name: | Lieutenant Colonel Akmurad Anamedov |
| Chief1 Position: | Chief of the General Staff |
The Ministry of Defense of Turkmenistan is a government agency under the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan which is the executive body in implementing defence policies in Turkmenistan. The current Minister of Defense is Major General Begenç Gündogdyýew. It was founded in January 1992 with the assistance of the Russian Armed Forces.
At its formation, most of the ethnic Turkmen employees were retired Soviet officials and members of the Communist Party of the Turkmen SSR, with other officials coming from small backgrounds such as chief of staff Annamurat Soltanov who had served in Afghanistan and Begdzhan Niyazov who had a career in law enforcement prior to his rising to his position.[2]
Sections of the defence ministry include some of the following institutions:[3]
Based on the Soviet model, the House of Officers is the main cultural center of the military designed to improve Civil–military relations. It is the equivalent to Military officers' clubs in the United States. Concerts of military ensembles such as the "Merdana nesiller" Ensemble, the Göreldeli Military Band and the "Sherhet Ovazlara" Ensemble of the State Border Service have performed at the House of Officers.[10] The house hosts receptions on holidays such as Defender of the Fatherland Day[11] and Independence Day. A special attraction of the House of Officers is the Museum of Military Glory, where numerous exhibits tell a history of Turkmen military history since the time of Oguz Khan. The building also has a stationary full-time professional television studio that prepares weekly television shows on the Altyn Asyr and Ovaz channels. It frequently hosts guests from the Military Institute and the military school.[12]
The Defence Ministry issues its social and political magazine called Milli goşun (National Army) every quarter which has the information about the measures for strengthening of defensive capability of the country.[13]
The defence ministry has the following command structure: