KYRYGZ MFA WESTERN COUNTRIES DIRECTOR TARRED BY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 000139

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR KG
SUBJECT: KYRYGZ MFA WESTERN COUNTRIES DIRECTOR TARRED BY
CIGARETTE SMUGGLING SCANDAL

BISHKEK 00000139 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Ambassador Tatiana C. Gfoeller, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Western
Countries Chief Kanat Tursunkulov, has become embroiled in a
scandal involving cigarette smuggling through the Kyrgyz
Embassy in London's diplomatic pouch. He confided to DCM
that he was detained by the intelligence service for two
days, and plans to check into a hospital to avoid being
fired. He believes he can escape prosecution, but it will
cost him money, and the scandal has taken him out of the
running for high-profile jobs. On Manas Air Base,
Tursunkulov claimed that FM Sarbaev had only reluctantly
signed the document he sent to Parliament on the closure of
the Base, and that he is someone the U.S. can "talk to." End
Summary.


2. (C) On February 16, DCM received a call from MFA Western
Countries Chief Kanat Tursunkulov, who is under investigation
in connection with the smuggling of cigarettes via diplomatic
pouch. Tursunkulov wanted to clarify his situation, and
agreed to stop by the DCM's residence that evening.
Tursunkulov explained that two brothers had run the pouch
smuggling scheme. One of them had approached Tursunkulov,
seeking a letter to Customs to allow a small shipment of
personal effects to be sent through the pouch. Tursunkulov
provided the letter, which he told DCM the brothers then
photocopied, cut and pasted and used for subsequent smuggling
of cigarettes through the pouch.

Two nights in GKNB detention
--------------

3. (C) The smuggling scheme was uncovered in December, and
was one factor in the sacking of First Deputy Foreign
Minister Kadyrov. The investigation, led by the law
enforcement arm of the intelligence service, the GKNB, led to
Tursunkulov's name on the letters used. Tursunkulov told DCM
he was hauled into GKNB headquarters for two days last week
for interrogation. He was finally released through one of
his wife's contacts. Tursunkulov noted his disappointment
that neither current Foreign Minister Sarbaev nor his
predecessor, Karabayev, lifted a finger to get him released.
Tursunkulov claimed both had offered to help him when he
first came under suspicion.

Taking Political "Sick Leave"
--------------

4. (C) Tursunkulov claimed he had also been contacted by
and met with Marat Bakiyev, President Bakiyev's brother who
is Ambassador to Germany. Marat called Tursunkulov, prior to
his detention, to ask what all this was about regarding the
smuggling case. Tursunkulov said that Marat had indicated
that the suspicions had nixed Tursunkulov's chances to be
promoted as a new Deputy Foreign Minister or as the new
Presidential Foreign Policy Advisor, all positions for which
Tursunkulov claimed Marat had endorsed him. Now, Tursunkulov
said, he planned to check into a hospital (Kyrgyz law
prevents employees from being fired while hospitalized) for
two weeks to let things die down. "I'll be out of touch for
awhile," he smiled, "but will contact you again when I'm
back."

Career hopes dashed
--------------

5. (C) Tursunkulov was optimistic he could avoid
prosecution -- "I'll have to pay something, of course," he
said, but the incident would damage his career. "I'm
thinking I'll try to become DCM in Brussels; the Ambassador
there has been trying to get me to come for over a year."
Tursunkulov acknowledged that his long-time aspiration to
become Ambassador to the UN was now out of reach. He said
some friends and family had urged him to leave the country,
but others encouraged him to stay and clear his name, and
that was what he has decided to do.

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Manas -- Talk to Sarbaev
--------------

6. (C) In response to a question about the current impasse
over the future of Manas Air Base, Tursunkulov urged the
Embassy to reach out to FM Sarbaev. "You can talk to him,"
Tursunkulov said, adding that although Sarbaev signed the
papers to close the Base, he did so reluctantly and does not
support the decision to rely on Moscow. Tursunkulov
explained Sarbaev's actions by noting that he is young and
ambitious and took the job to advance his career.

Comment
--------------

7. (C) Tursunkulov has been a reliable Embassy contact for
many years, and his likely departure from his current posting
spells the loss of yet another valued interlocutor. It is
also an indication of the degree to which the MFA is in
disarray, given the recent sweeping personnel changes at the
top.
GFOELLER