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Turkmenistan SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features
Turkmenistan SMS Market Overview
Locale name:
Turkmenistan
ISO code:
TM
Region
Asia
Mobile country code (MCC)
438
Dialing Code
+993
Market Conditions: Turkmenistan's mobile market is characterized by strong government oversight and regulation of telecommunications. The country has limited competition in the mobile sector, with state-owned TM Cell (formerly Altyn Asyr) being the dominant operator. SMS remains an important communication channel, particularly for business messaging, though mobile internet and OTT messaging apps are gaining popularity where available. The market shows a preference for Android devices due to their affordability and availability.
Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan supports basic SMS functionality with some restrictions on content and delivery methods, particularly around URL filtering and sender ID requirements.
Two-way SMS Support
Two-way SMS is not supported in Turkmenistan according to current carrier specifications. Businesses should design their SMS strategies around one-way communication flows.
Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)
Support: Yes, concatenated messages are supported, though availability may vary based on sender ID type. Message length rules: Standard SMS length limits apply - 160 characters for GSM-7 encoding, 70 characters for UCS-2 encoding. Encoding considerations: Both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encodings are supported. Messages using UCS-2 (for non-Latin characters) will have shorter length limits.
MMS Support
MMS messages are not directly supported in Turkmenistan. Instead, MMS content is automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link. Note that URLs in SMS content require special registration with carriers to avoid filtering.
Recipient Phone Number Compatibility
Number Portability
Number portability is not available in Turkmenistan. Mobile numbers remain tied to their original carrier, simplifying message routing but limiting consumer choice.
Sending SMS to Landlines
Sending SMS to landline numbers is not possible in Turkmenistan. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a 400 response error (code 21614) through the API, with no message delivery and no charging.
Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Turkmenistan
SMS communications in Turkmenistan are governed by the Law of Turkmenistan on Electronic Communications (2010) and overseen by the Ministry of Communications. Businesses must comply with strict content filtering regulations and maintain transparency in their messaging practices.
Consent and Opt-In
Explicit Consent Requirements:
Written or electronic opt-in must be obtained before sending any marketing messages
Consent records should be maintained for at least 2 years
Purpose of messaging must be clearly stated during opt-in process
Separate consent required for different types of communications
Best Practices for Documentation:
Maintain detailed consent logs including timestamp, source, and scope
Store opt-in confirmation messages
Implement double opt-in for marketing campaigns
Regular audit of consent records
HELP/STOP and Other Commands
All SMS campaigns must support standard STOP and HELP commands
Commands must be recognized in both Latin and Cyrillic scripts
Local language support required for Russian and Turkmen
Response to HELP/STOP commands must be immediate and free of charge
Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries
While Turkmenistan does not maintain an official Do Not Call registry, businesses should:
Maintain their own suppression lists
Honor opt-out requests within 24 hours
Keep records of opted-out numbers for at least 1 year
Implement automated filtering of opted-out numbers before campaign sends
Time Zone Sensitivity
Turkmenistan follows UTC+5 timezone. Best practices include:
Restrict messaging to 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM local time
Avoid messaging during national holidays
Emergency messages exempt from time restrictions
Consider religious observances during Ramadan
Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for in Turkmenistan
Alphanumeric Sender ID
Operator network capability: Supported Registration requirements: Not required, but dynamic usage supported Sender ID preservation: No - will be replaced with international long code
Long Codes
Domestic vs. International: International long codes supported; domestic long codes limited Sender ID preservation: No - sender ID replaced by international long code Provisioning time: Immediate for international long codes Use cases: Transactional messaging, alerts, notifications
Short Codes
Support: Not currently available in Turkmenistan Provisioning time: N/A Use cases: N/A
Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases
Restricted Industries:
Gambling and betting services
Adult content
Cryptocurrency services
Political messaging
Unauthorized financial services
Regulated Industries:
Banking (requires central bank approval)
Healthcare (patient privacy regulations apply)
Insurance (requires regulatory compliance)
Content Filtering
Known Carrier Filters:
URLs and web links (require pre-registration)
Political content
Religious content
Competitor references
Specific keywords related to restricted industries
Tips to Avoid Filtering:
Register URLs with carriers before sending
Avoid shortened URLs
Use approved sender IDs
Keep content neutral and business-focused
Maintain consistent sending patterns
Best Practices for Sending SMS in Turkmenistan
Messaging Strategy
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
Include clear call-to-action
Avoid excessive punctuation
Use approved sender ID consistently
Include business name in message body
Sending Frequency and Timing
Limit to 3-4 messages per week per recipient
Respect time zone restrictions
Avoid messaging during national holidays
Space out bulk campaigns to prevent network congestion
Localization
Primary languages: Turkmen (official) and Russian
Support both Latin and Cyrillic character sets
Consider cultural sensitivities
Use local date/time formats
Opt-Out Management
Process opt-outs within 24 hours
Maintain centralized opt-out database
Include opt-out instructions in messages
Regular audit of opt-out compliance
Testing and Monitoring
Test across major mobile operators
Monitor delivery rates daily
Track opt-out rates
Regular content filter testing
Performance benchmarking against industry standards
SMS API integrations for Turkmenistan
Twilio
Twilio provides a robust SMS API for sending messages to Turkmenistan. Integration requires account credentials and proper phone number formatting.
Key Parameters:
Account SID and Auth Token for authentication
Sender ID must be registered
Phone numbers in E.164 format (+993)
Message content pre-registered if containing URLs
import{ Twilio }from'twilio';// Initialize Twilio clientconst client =newTwilio( process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID, process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN);asyncfunctionsendSMSTurkmenistan(){try{// Send message with proper formatting for Turkmenistanconst message =await client.messages.create({ body:'Your message content here',// Keep under 160 chars from: process.env.TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER,// Your registered sender ID to:'+99312345678'// Turkmenistan number in E.164 format});console.log(`Message sent successfully: ${message.sid}`);return message;}catch(error){console.error('Error sending message:', error);throw error;}}
Sinch
Sinch offers SMS capabilities for Turkmenistan with support for both transactional and promotional messages.