Turkmen cotton bans urged as findings suggest forced labour persists
A new report by Cotton Campaign members TurkmenNews and the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights says public sector workers and military conscripts were widely mobilised for the cotton harvest in Turkmenistan or pressured to pay to avoid field work.
The report claims Turkmen authorities have rolled back earlier reductions in forced labour, with teachers, doctors and utility workers once again required to take part in the harvest. It also points to cases of child labour, as well as ongoing coercion and bribery affecting farmers under pressure to meet state quotas.
For the full story, see the July 2026 edition of Textiles Eastern Europe.