"More than 5,000 conscripts carry out various types of social tasks and this number should increase to 20,000," Niyazov said on the ex-Soviet state's Homeland channel.

"Today's warrior is tomorrow's peaceful professional -- this form of service has a positive effect," Niyazov said.

This Central Asian country of some 4.7 million people has become increasingly isolated in recent years and was condemned last month in a report by the pan-European rights body the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

"The contrast between the law as it is presented and the reality marked by terror and fear is mind-boggling", said the OSCE report.

Young men compelled to serve in the army for two years already make up a large number of Turkmenistan's road repairers and fire fighters.

Niyazov's announcement appears to confirm the abandonment of earlier plans to slim down the 100,000-strong conscript force.

The eccentric Niyazov, who has dubbed himself "Turkmenbashi" or "Father of the Turkmen," also said that Soviet-era terms for different ranks of officer would be abandoned and replaced by terms in keeping with Turkmen tradition, such as "leader of 10," "leader of 1,000" and "leader of an army."

SPACE.WIRE