Terrorists are trying to seize power, warns Kazakh president

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. The President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that terror groups took advantage of the protests in his country and are trying to seize power.

Speaking at the CSTO summit on January 10, the Kazakh president said that his country went through a difficult large-scale crisis in the beginning of January, which became the most difficult one in the history of Kazakhstan.

He said that those behind the deadly events prepared to strike for a long time.

“Demonstrations took place, whose participants brought forward social-economic and public-political demands, and all of these demands were heard out and implemented by the government,” Tokayev said. However, terrorists sought to seize power, he said.

“The situation escalated and armed militants who were waiting for the right moment to strike began to act. Their main goal became obvious – the overthrow of constitutional order, collapse of government institutions and seizure of power. This is an attempted coup d’état,” Tokayev warned.

President Tokayev said that the terror groups’ main attack was directed at Almaty, and if the city were to fall it would’ve led to the capture of the entire country.