Turkmenistan has closed its borders for the presidential polls on 12 February 2012. Security will be enforced on 8-15 February.
Kazakh citizens in the Mangistau Region may enter Balkansky Velayat in Turkmenistan without visas for 5 days. Longer stays in Turkmenistan require visas.
The Department for Customs Control of the Mangistau Region told Vestnik Kavkaza that Kazakh citizens may enter the Turkmen territory through special control posts listed in a bilateral deal. There are two such posts, the Temir-baba Post for vehicles, with a customs office, and the railway Post of Bolashak. Temir-baba is located in the Karakiyan District, 335 km from Aktau. The Bolashak railway post is 80 km away from the homonymous train station.
