Let's figure out why the deputy "offended" the Kazakh language, how much money is spent on Tokayev's referendums, how Russians became involved in the Burger King Kazakhstan scandal, why the ENPF exited the shareholders of Air Astana, and what compensation Kazakhstan will receive according to the court's decision in the Karachaganak case. All this in the new review of the Kazakh-language press by Nazira Darimbet.
Deputy's Statement: Kazakh is the language of the poor!
Deputy of the Mazhilis Samat Nurtaza has faced criticism and a complaint has been filed with the prosecutor's office due to his offensive post about the Kazakh language on Facebook, reports Democrat.kz.
In his provocative message, published five years ago, Nurtaza called the Kazakh language the language of the poor: "The Kazakh language is the language of the poor, it's the language spoken by cart pushers and waiters! Well, be outraged, poor people!".
This post recently went viral on social media, sparking a heated public discussion and criticism directed at the deputy. He soon apologized, stating that his words were driven by emotions, and he wanted to draw attention to language issues.
However, a wave of discontent among citizens has already erupted, discussions on Threads and other platforms have intensified. Many commentators expressed their intention to appeal to the General Prosecutor's Office.
“Strict punishment should be applied to those who insult their language, traditions, and faith,” “I have submitted a statement to the prosecutor's office of Astana,” “If a deputy, who receives a salary from our taxes, writes such things, what can we expect from others?” — such comments are left by outraged users.
It is noteworthy that the new surge of interest in Nurtaza's post coincided with current discussions about the state language in the context of the new draft Constitution.
…Another post by Nurtaza, made about five years ago, is also remembered, in which he discussed a Kazakh woman from Atyrau who married an African: “No Kazakh would marry such a fat woman, so she had to marry a black man.” By the way, he is a former Bolashak student and studied for his master's degree in the UK.
Expenses for Tokayev's Referendums
With the upcoming referendum on approving the new Constitution in Kazakhstan, Stan.kz assessed the costs incurred by the state for conducting referendums during the presidency of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
On June 5, 2022, a referendum took place in the country concerning amendments and additions to the Constitution, which addressed issues regarding the extension of presidential powers and the cancellation of the status of the first president. A total of 16.5 billion tenge was allocated for its conduct, of which 1.6 billion was saved and returned to the budget.
On October 6, 2024, a referendum regarding the construction of a nuclear power plant was held, costing 15.5 billion tenge.
For the referendum scheduled for March 15, 20.8 billion tenge has been allocated.
Thus, the total expenses for referendums will amount to 52 billion tenge, as stated in the publication.
…Over nearly 30 years of Nazarbayev's rule, only two referendums were held, both in 1995 — one for extending the president's powers for five years and another for a new Constitution. There is no information about the costs of these referendums in open sources.
The Burger King Scandal
A scandal erupted around the fast-food chain Burger King Kazakhstan after the dismissal of an employee with autism, reports Adyrna.kz.
Social media users began to actively criticize the brand and leave negative reviews after it became known that chef Alibek Karatay was forced to resign. This was reported by his mother, Zhanat Karatay, a social entrepreneur and autism expert.
According to her, her son had worked as a chef for about four years, tried to take extra shifts, and planned his schedule himself. However, after the arrival of new management from Russia, the situation changed drastically.
“He worked steadily and felt part of the team, but with the arrival of the new manager Sergey, pressure began, and he was forced to leave,” she said.
Later, she clarified that both former and current employees had approached her with complaints about gross violations of labor rights.
In her publication, she posted screenshots of correspondence with a supposed former employee, who confirmed the deterioration of working conditions after the new management took over.
“They did not hide that their salaries and working conditions were better. This information quickly spread among the employees. Many could not endure such treatment,” she added.
However, Burger King management denied the information that Alibek Karatay was dismissed.
“The company did not make a decision regarding his dismissal. On January 29, 2026, a notice of the employee's desire to go on vacation was received in the HR department. On February 6, the employee's mother contacted the company with a resignation letter for Alibek, but according to labor legislation, such letters must be submitted by the employee themselves,” the official statement said.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population reported that an investigation is underway regarding all the facts. Nevertheless, Kazakhs have already begun to boycott the chain.
“A complete boycott of Burger King for humiliating the Kazakh people, the dismissal of our compatriot,” “This is an offensive meme and equating the nation to a donkey,” “For me, Burger King is closed,” “Why such an attitude towards people?” — write disgruntled users.
…This is not the first case where Kazakhs collectively boycott well-known brands, and it is usually related to issues of national identity.
ENPF "disappeared" from the list of Air Astana shareholders
As of January 1, 2026, the register of shareholders of JSC "Air Astana" does not indicate the presence of the Unified Accumulative Pension Fund (ENPF), reports Nege.kz.
In the register dated December 18, 2025, the ENPF was listed as the fourth largest shareholder with a stake of 6.54%. At that time, the fund held more than 23 thousand shares of Air Astana.
There is no official information that the fund has completely sold its shares. It is known that in the third quarter of last year, the fund managed to sell only 0.55% of its shares.
The latest register indicates that 41.18% of Air Astana shares belong to the state through the Sovereign Wealth Fund "Samruk-Kazyna," while 37.69% of shares are nominally held by Citibank. The share of 6.89% of shares owned by the British company BAE Systems is also absent.
Last week, a shareholders' meeting of Air Astana took place, where it was decided that the current CEO Peter Foster would continue his activities in the first quarter of 2026, and he would transfer his powers to Ibrahim Zhanlyel on March 31.
The shareholders also approved a deal to acquire 25 aircraft from Airbus S.A.S., with deliveries scheduled for 2031-2034. Since the amount of the deal exceeds half of the balance sheet value of Air Astana's assets, it must be submitted for discussion to the shareholders.
However, doubts arise as to whether Air Astana will be able to generate financial resources for the direct purchase of aircraft by 2031, rather than leasing them, as stated in the publication. According to financial reporting for the third quarter of 2025, the company's financial situation is deteriorating every year, despite revenue growth.
…The net profit of Air Astana for the 9 months of 2025 amounted to 16.4 billion tenge, while for the same period in 2024 it reached 24.7 billion tenge. The future financial position of the company remains uncertain. It is possible that the ENPF exited as an investor in Air Astana precisely for this reason.
Kazakhstan agrees on 3 billion dollars
As a result of negotiations between Karachaganak Petroleum Operating and Kazakhstan, the parties reached an agreement for an amount of about 3 billion dollars, reports the source from the DALA INSIDE Telegram channel.
Kazakhstan won in international arbitration regarding the Karachaganak case. The dispute concerned the production sharing agreement, where the investor recoups its expenses from the extracted oil and shares profits with the state. Kazakhstan doubted the validity of the claimed expenses.
“After an independent audit, it became clear that part of the expenses was not agreed upon with our side. The investors could not refute specific facts. As a result, Kazakhstan won the case in international arbitration,” the source explains.
According to the court's decision, Kazakhstan should be paid between 2 to 4 billion dollars, which amounts to approximately 1.5 trillion tenge. If these funds are transferred to the National Fund, they could cover more than half of the 2.77 trillion tenge that the republican budget plans to withdraw from the Fund this year.
…Currently, the form of compensation payment is being agreed upon. The three billion dollars may be transferred directly to the National Fund, or the PSA report may be revised, allowing Kazakhstan to receive funds in the form of an increased share. Experts prefer the first option: a full and immediate payment.
