As many blamed former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev for the mass protests in early January, as well as for dragging the country into a deep crisis by creating an oligarchic environment and favorable scene in which corruption thrives, the first deputy chairperson of the ruling Nur Otan party has unexpectedly drawn a parallel between the former leader of Kazakhstan and the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
According to the party press report, Nur Otan Chairperson Bauyrzhan Baibek called the attempts to blame Nazarbayev for all the country's problems "baseless." During a meeting with all regional branches of the party, he said that recently there have been many people who express "different opinions about the first president."
He noted that there are mistakes that needed to be corrected. This, according to him, is the essence of the reforms announced by Nazarbayev's successor, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
"To blame Nursultan Nazarbayev today for all the sins after leaving the post of head of state is low and does not paint individual citizens in a good light," said the deputy head of the party, adding that large-scale events and the role of the individual should not be assessed "unambiguously."
Baibek asserted that there are "many conflicting opinions" about the first president of Turkey and national hero Atatürk. Nevertheless, the scale of his personality and the status of the founder of the modern Turkish state is not disputed.
He also added that in the '90s, thanks to Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan gained independence, created and strengthened state institutions, as well as obtained recognition from other states.
"Undoubtedly, the historical merits of Nazarbayev and the older generation, which for 30 years have strengthened the foundations of statehood, demarcated the borders and preserved the integrity of the country, will be adequately appreciated in national history," Baibek concluded.
In early January, protests broke out in Kazakhstan, which soon led to mass riots. Tokayev appealed to the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to help the country's police force quell demonstrations. Dozens of people died and thousands were detained with links to what the government said was a foreign-orchestrated operation to create instability in Kazakhstan.
On Tuesday, Nazarbayev broke the silence for the first time since the beginning of the events and made an official statement.
He called the mass protest a "tragedy," which "became a lesson for all of us" and urged "to protect independence like the apple of one's eye" and to find out "who organized all these demonstrations and murders." Nazarbayev also expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
He also responded to "numerous appeals" regarding his role during the unrest. In the statements, Nazarbayev noted that he did not consider it necessary to interfere in the situation and even appear in public as he handed the presidential lever to Tokayev in 2019.
"I am on a well-deserved rest in the capital of Kazakhstan and have not left anywhere," Nazarbayev assured.
In addition, Nazarbayev tried to refute the rumors about conflict among Kazakhstan's elite. He stated that Tokayev "possesses full power" and will soon be elected chairperson of the Nur Otan party, because, in his words, "there is no conflict or confrontation in the elite."