The actions of the head of state have caused confusion; however, today at a meeting with journalists, representatives of the opposition revealed information that could explain his behavior. According to members of the "El Uunu" movement and its leader Azimbek Beknazarov, the land claimed to be disputed was actually secretly sold to Uzbekistan, and the military presence there is entirely legal.
Information that part of the land was transferred to the use of the Kyrgyz Republic in November 2015 was indeed publicly available. In particular, at that time, the Ortokoy reservoir, which supplies water to both the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan, was exclusively designated for Kyrgyz use, and some experts considered the appropriation of it to be the reason for the actions of Uzbek soldiers. However, there was no information on what territories had to be given in exchange. The truth surfaced recently, after Kyrgyz soldiers, armored personnel carriers, and special forces had already arrived at the border with Uzbekistan. The deputies of the Kerben city council were confronted with the fact that according to a government decree, part of the land in the district is territory of Uzbekistan, including Mount Ungar-Tuu, where a relay station of Kyrgyzstan has been located since 1969, and a telephone station of Uzbekistan since 1975. The elected representatives were faced with the necessity of relocating the tower, as it is situated on the territory of a neighboring state. However, the vote did not take place – all members of the city council voted against this decision.
- This has always been Kyrgyz land, both during the Soviet Union, before it, and after. We do not understand why the government decides that this is Uzbek land and instructs to find another location for the tower. No one in Aksy agrees with this decision, from young to old. All deputies of the city council were against it. We passed a resolution for the tower to remain in place. We were informed about the government decree recently, just a couple of days ago, and it is unclear why, if it was adopted back in November, - commented the situation K-News Ergeshaly Ozoikeev, one of the deputies.
Opposition movement representative Azimbek Beknazarov voiced his version of events at a press conference in Bishkek on Wednesday, March 23. According to him, the crisis at the border, which prompted Kyrgyzstan to appeal to the CSTO, was provoked by the top officials of the state.
- The Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Temir Sariev, concealed that he handed over the land where the Kerben television tower is located in the Aksy district of the Jalal-Abad region in November last year, - Beknazarov stated. - Sariev informed the local council deputies about the transfer of the land with the television tower on Ungar-Tuu, but no local council deputy supported this resolution. He concealed the existence of the resolution and prepared everything in advance. This was de jure and de facto our land: both since 1991 and even during the time of Tsarist Russia. It is unclear why the authorities of the Kyrgyz Republic only realized this now.
It should be noted that the press service of the Kyrgyz government issued a statement partially refuting the information presented.
- In order to enhance information security in the Chatkal, Ala-Buka, and Aksy districts of the Jalal-Abad region, the government of the Kyrgyz Republic is considering the construction of a new station that will operate in conjunction with the radio relay system-224 (RRS-24) "Kerben," located on Mount Ungar-Tuu. The construction of this station is necessary for establishing new communication channels, which will provide digital broadcasting in the aforementioned areas as part of the implementation of the Program for the Transition to Digital Television and Radio Broadcasting in the Kyrgyz Republic, which was approved by the government decree of the Kyrgyz Republic dated November 2, 2011, No. 692, - the statement reads.
However, the fact that this plot of land belongs to Uzbekistan is not denied: the issue of the border line in this area will be discussed within the framework of the work of government delegations from the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan on delimitation and demarcation of the border.