The former head of the State Service for Combating Economic Crimes emphasized that his words were not intended to belittle the writer, but rather reflected his personal literary preferences, which he believes should not be subject to condemnation.
“What exactly did I say that was bad about Chingiz Aitmatov? I did not get personal, I did not call him a bad person. I just don’t like his work. I prefer to read Persian poetry, the works of Rumi and Omar Khayyam. When I say that Aitmatov’s works do not attract me, I am asked again and again: why? We need to respect everyone’s opinion. I did not insult the writer, nor did I slander him. If I had said that I don’t like Pushkin or Solzhenitsyn, would there be the same outrage? Is this some kind of inferiority complex?” Zhapikeev noted.
It should be reminded that on January 16, a podcast featuring Zhapikeev was released on the YouTube platform, hosted by journalist Ernis Kyazov. The discussion raised the topic of "mankurtism" and Aitmatov's works. Zhapikeev expressed the opinion that the writer's works are “five kopeck stories” and do not inspire.
He also added: “I have not read the story about the mankurt, but it is not such a deep topic. There are writers who tell it completely differently. His stories, for example, about the first teacher or the collective farm, are five kopeck stories that do not inspire. After watching a movie with Bruce Lee, there is a desire to repeat his tricks and become just like him,” he explained.
Zhapikeev's statements provoked active discussions. Deputy Gulsharkan Kultaeva and the Union of Writers of Kyrgyzstan called on the relevant authorities to assess his words from a legal standpoint.
