Syimyk Zhapikeev, the former head of the Financial Police, addressed the public with an apology for his comments about the great writer Chinghiz Aitmatov. This was reported by journalist and activist Turat Akimov on his social media page.
Akimov noted: "According to ancient Kyrgyz wisdom, everyone can make mistakes, and there is no horse that has never stumbled." He expressed support for his younger brother, Syimyk, and decided to clarify the situation.
Their acquaintance took place in the fall of 2019, when a rally against a lawsuit initiated by Shirin Aitmatova and several media outlets was held in Ala-Too Square. Syimyk approached Akimov to introduce himself, but due to the large number of people, they could not talk in detail. Akimov invited him to his office.
At that time, Akimov used his apartment near "Vefa Center" as the headquarters for "Chon Kazat," where the walls were decorated with posters and theses. During their conversation, Akimov explained to Syimyk the importance of understanding the spirit of Manas, which impressed him. After that, Syimyk became an active supporter of Manas's ideas and a prominent figure in "Chon Kazat," while Akimov went abroad.
Today, Akimov contacted him and asked: "Syimyk, is it true that you spoke poorly of Chinghiz Aitmatov?" Syimyk replied that he wanted to talk about the prevalence of "mankurts" in Kyrgyzstan, which Aitmatov wrote about, but he expressed himself poorly and was misunderstood. "How can I tarnish the name of Chingiz-aga, if I often visited Shirin Aitmatova? I apologize to the people, it was a mistake," he added.
Akimov called for understanding and mercy, noting that we are all human and can make mistakes. "Let's forgive someone who has realized their mistake," he wrote. In conclusion, he emphasized that the perception of a writer's style is subjective and urged everyone to show patience, hoping that Shirin-ayim would also approach this with understanding. "Let's rise above this," Akimov added.
