Japarov family members at center of lucrative projects: golf resort, new bank and business ties after arrests

Kyrgyzstan’s newly opened Issyk-Kul Golf Resort was unveiled with extraordinary ceremonial backing: the opening was attended by the presidents of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan — Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Emomali Rahmon and Ilham Aliyev — and featured a speech by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov. The high-level turnout underscored the public prominence of the private venture, but subsequent reporting has focused on the involvement of members of the president’s family and the state support the project received.

According to local reporting, the golf club was developed on land at the shores of Issyk-Kul that was transferred to investors for the project. The site for the facility was variously described as comprising 104 hectares provided for construction; President Japarov earlier said in 2023 that he had sent his son Rustam to "контролировать" construction of a large sports complex and to prevent the loss of "92 гектара земли в селе Кош-Көль": "Чтобы не проиграть 92 гектара земли в селе Кош-Көль, я отправил Рустама и сказал контролировать. Он будет контролировать цены до завершения строительства." Construction of the club began in 2023 and it is being presented by its backers as the country’s first international-class golf facility.

Project management has been publicly associated with Chingiz Jumaliev, who told media in 2025 that Rustam Japarov assisted by handling "решением бюрократических вопросов" and that "Здесь поддержка властей позволяет не тормозить процесс." Those comments have been read by critics as an acknowledgment that the involvement of the president’s son facilitated administrative support and expedited approvals.

Rustam Japarov has previously been a visible presence at his father’s meetings. Local outlets have also referenced earlier allegations and images tying him to controversial figures, which have fed public discussion about the overlap between state power and private business opportunities.

Meanwhile, another of President Japarov’s sons, 21-year-old Nurdoolot (Nurdoolot Nurkojoev), has taken on a separate high-profile commercial role. On 20 October 2025 he became a co-founder of a newly established bank called "Берекет" (Berket). The move drew attention and media reporting prompted President Japarov to claim that the bank’s founding had been suggested by Binance founder Changpeng Zhao — a claim Zhao himself denied. The president framed his son’s involvement as a chance to "acquire experience," an explanation that did not, however, quell questions about access and advantage.

Other family members of the president have also been linked to commercial activity following the 2021 change in leadership. Reporting by Kloop identified several relatives who expanded business holdings or became partners in companies after the arrests or legal troubles of previous owners. The president’s nephew, Eskat Nurkojoev, reportedly owns five companies and is a partner of a Turkish businessman who was awarded the lease on Bishkek’s Hotel Dostuk, a property that previously saw part of its ownership seized by the State Committee for National Security (GKNB) on allegations of illegal privatization.

President Japarov’s sister, Raykan Japarova, is reported to have opened a joint business with the son of the Dordoi market owner Askar Salymbekov in the immediate aftermath of the latter’s detention. The president’s daughter Zhanayym (Жанайым) has also appeared publicly at charity events, substituting for her parents during gift distributions at the Altyn Balalyk centre — a public role the president denied was mere publicity. His daughter-in-law, Burul Kyshtobaeva, and other relatives have reportedly become partners with influential businessmen, some of whom faced arrest or asset seizures, and in at least one case became a co-founder of the company "Сан-Сити" after the arrest of a prior owner, Alexander Sana.

The consolidation of commercial opportunities within the president’s family has provoked debate about the boundaries between public office and private enrichment. President Japarov has repeatedly stated: "Я не вовлекаю своих детей или родственников в политику и государственные дела." Yet the pattern of family members assuming visible roles in lucrative projects, alongside assertions that their involvement smooths bureaucratic processes, has prompted calls from critics for greater transparency and independent oversight. For now, the Issyk-Kul golf resort stands as a highly visible example of how state-level support and private family-linked enterprise can intersect in contemporary Kyrgyzstan, raising broader questions about governance, accountability and the use of state influence in the country’s economic life.