Journalist · Photojournalist · Editor

Mahammad Turkman

In journalism since 2011. Frontline and crisis reporting, investigations into pyramid schemes and cybercrime, and field photography.

The investigations Get in touch

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4000+ Reports produced
15+ Years in the field
300+ Articles written about him
50+ Trainings attended

About

A reporter who writes from the field

For me a story does not begin at a desk. It begins where the event is happening.

Born: 17 October 1990, Mary, Turkmenistan
Based in: Baku, Azerbaijan
Profession: Journalist, photojournalist, editor, web developer
Languages: Azerbaijani, Turkish, Russian
Current roles: Editor-in-chief, Minval.Info · Chief on-air director, TV Musavat
Award: Jubilee medal “150 Years of the Azerbaijani National Press (1875–2025)”
Projects: Fotoqraflar.com · rundizayn.com

Mahammad Meretgeldi oghlu Turkman was born on 17 October 1990 in Mary, Turkmenistan. He spent part of his childhood in Mary and part in the Salyan district of Azerbaijan.

He has worked in journalism since 2011, reporting for internet TV channels and websites including BakuNews, Kanal 13 and Elitar.az. In October 2013 he joined the newspaper “Yeni Müsavat” as a photojournalist, and he has been a special correspondent of the Yeni Müsavat Media Group ever since.

He reports on extreme situations and on social affairs. In 2016 he completed the “practical field training for extreme journalists” and was awarded a diploma. He was among the first journalists to travel to the front line whenever fighting broke out: the August clashes, the April battles, the Tovuz clashes and the 44-day Patriotic War.

In January 2018 he was appointed editor-in-chief of the news site Minval.Info. Since 2019 he has been chief on-air director of the internet channel TV Musavat.

Alongside journalism he works as a photographer. His photographs have won competitions and have been published by international media. In 2016 he launched Fotoqraflar.com, an online photo-education and photo-news portal he founded and conceived.

In 2020, at a briefing in Baku, he became one of the founders of the “Davam” All-Republic Youth Movement and a member of its board, representing young journalists within the movement.

In recent years he has investigated online fraud, financial pyramid schemes and cybercrime. One of those investigations led to the shutdown of the “MoveShort” platform. After his investigation into the “Any Unboxing” pyramid scheme the operation was exposed, its website was closed and its management arrested. He is currently the only journalist in Azerbaijan working this beat.

He has been awarded the jubilee medal “150 Years of the Azerbaijani National Press (1875–2025)”.

He lives in Baku and is not a member of any political party. He is married to the journalist Konul Ibrahim and has a daughter, Nur.

Working in the combat zone is an honour for me.
Interview with Modern.az, 23 October 2020

Career

The road so far

The milestones of a career that began in 2011.

2011

Entered journalism
Worked as a reporter for internet TV channels and websites including BakuNews, Kanal 13 and Elitar.az, and took part in local and international journalism trainings.
October 2013

“Yeni Müsavat” — photojournalist
Joined the newspaper “Yeni Müsavat” as a photojournalist and became a special correspondent of the media group.
2014

Detained while on assignment
One of four journalists detained while covering a protest that followed a court verdict; released after an appeal by the Press Council. He has been detained repeatedly in the course of his work and has been attacked. During the war his camera was taken from him and never returned.
August 2014

The August clashes — first frontline assignment
One of the journalists working in the combat zone during the days of escalation along the front line.
April 2016

The April battles · extreme-journalism training
Covered the April battles from the front. The same year he completed the “practical field training for extreme journalists”, received a diploma, and founded Fotoqraflar.com, a photo-education portal with no equivalent in Azerbaijan.
January 2018

Minval.Info — editor-in-chief
Appointed editor-in-chief of Minval.Info, the news site of the Yeni Müsavat Media Group.
2019

TV Musavat — chief on-air director
Became chief on-air director of the internet channel TV Musavat, and lectured at universities on media and information warfare.
July 2020

The Tovuz clashes
Covered the fighting in the Tovuz direction from the combat zone, and took part in live debates after returning.
September–November 2020

The 44-day Patriotic War
Covered the war from the front as the newsroom’s most experienced correspondent: Tartar, Barda, Ganja, Fuzuli, Jabrayil, Zangilan and Shusha. His photographs were published by international media.
2020

The “Davam” Youth Movement
At a briefing in Baku he became one of the founders of the “Davam” All-Republic Youth Movement and a member of its board, representing young journalists.
2022–2023

The Lachin road protest
Covered the protest on the Lachin road on location, working in the field alongside colleagues for an extended period.
2025

Jubilee medal
Awarded the jubilee medal “150 Years of the Azerbaijani National Press (1875–2025)”.
2026

Investigative reporting
Investigations into online fraud, pyramid schemes and cybercrime. After the “Any Unboxing” and “MoveShort” pyramids were exposed their websites were shut down, and the management of “Any Unboxing” was arrested.

Expertise

What I do

The main strands of my professional work.

01
War and crisis reporting

The August clashes, the April battles, the Tovuz clashes and the 44-day Patriotic War. Field work under fire, safety protocols, live broadcasting and on-the-ground reporting.
02
Investigative journalism

Investigations into pyramid schemes, online fraud and cybercrime. Platforms have been shut down after these exposures, and people have been prosecuted.
03
Photojournalism

Field photography and photo essays. My images have won competitions and have been published by international media outlets.
04
Editing and newsroom management

Running a newsroom as editor-in-chief of Minval.Info: daily planning, team management, editorial standards and the online publishing process.
05
Internet television and broadcast

Chief on-air director of TV Musavat. Internet TV and IPTV broadcasting, live debates and programme hosting, studio and field production.
06
Teaching and public work

University lectures on media and information warfare, training for young journalists, and public work with the “Davam” Youth Movement.

From the front

On the front line

The front has never been a one-off assignment for me. I worked in the field during the August clashes of 2014, the April battles of 2016, the fighting in the Tovuz direction in July 2020, and finally the 44-day Patriotic War.

In the autumn of 2020 the newsroom sent me to the front as its most experienced reporter. The missile strikes on Barda and Ganja were the hardest days. In Ganja I photographed a small child’s shoe left in the street after a strike; the family behind that photograph survived. Fuzuli was liberated on my birthday, and Shusha left the deepest mark on me.

Before going to the front I wrote a will. In front of the camera and behind it I tried to hold back my tears, because our job was to make what was happening visible.

I did not leave the field in the years that followed: I also covered the protest on the Lachin road on location, together with my colleagues.

I had even written a will — I asked how my family would be looked after if I died.
Interview with Modern.az, 13 July 2021

August clashes 2014 · April battles 2016 · Tovuz 2020 · Tartar · Barda · Ganja · Fuzuli · Jabrayil · Zangilan · Shusha · the Lachin road

Investigations

Pyramid schemes and cybercrime

A selection of my investigations. After these exposures some platforms were shut down and their management arrested. I am currently the only journalist in Azerbaijan working this beat.