Role of Turkish radicals and their links with extremists based in the Af-Pak region have come under scanner for their alleged role in fuelling riots and terror attacks in Kazakhstan Turkey has been an economic player and investor in Central Asia, including in Kazakhstan, for decades and radicals from Turkey may have encroached into the landlocked region, Eurasian security agencies suspect. Turkey has been keen that Kazakhstan adopts Turkic traditions and customs and has not been satisfied with the rise of current Kazakh President Kassym Jomart Tokayev, who maintains close ties with Moscow, according to Avatkov. It was expected that Turkey would issue strong statements in favour of Kazakhstan.Till date two Kazakh military personnel have been killed and over 160 injured in the terror attacks, ET has learnt. The Kazakh government is continuing with counter-terror operations and heads of security czars have rolled for failing to pre-empt the situation being described as efforts to change regime in the oil and uranium rich republic. Senior Kazakh officials told ET that the country was subjected to armed aggression by well-coordinated terrorist groups trained abroad.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 09, 2022 21:14 UTC