President Tokayev gives interview to Qazaqstan TV channel

In his interview President Tokayev stressed that the peaceful protests which started in parts of the country in early January were hijacked by terrorists and quickly spread to many regions of Kazakhstan.

According to the Head of State, people took to the streets to express their disapproval, to protest peacefully, however, the situation took an unexpected turn leading to the most tragic events in the 30-year history of independent Kazakhstan.

Armed terrorists tried to use the situation to stage what President Tokayev called ‘a coup d’etat’, targeting Kazakhstan’s statehood, integrity and security of the nation. The Head of State emphasized that peaceful protesters had nothing to do with well-coordinated armed attacks.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev revealed that large scale investigations are underway and it will take some time. He vowed to give answers to all the questions without holding back anything from the people.

The President again reiterated that he doesn’t regret his decision to request the CSTO peacekeeping contingent’s assistance in protecting the key strategic facilities during the unrest that gripped Kazakhstan.

The Head of State went on to add that crisis situations offer opportunities and he is going to unveil new political reforms in his state-of-the-nation address in mid-March.

In his interview Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also touched upon the personnel policy, the President's talent pool, the press in Kazakhstan, the independence of the Kazakh language and more.