Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Aigerim Turgunbaeva @aigiturgunbaeva.bsky.social · Aug 22

Boiling #Bishkek. People are fleeing their concrete homes — unbearable inside. ACs run non-stop. The city keeps cutting down trees, spends nothing to fight the heat.
Explore how rapid #urbangrowth, warming climate are straining #Kyrgyzstan’s fragile power grid

open.substack.com/pub/havli/p/...

While Bishkek boils, Kyrgyzstan’s fragile power grid struggles to keep up

In this dispatch from Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek-based journalist Aigerim Turgunbaeva explores how rapid urban growth and a warming climate are straining the country’s fragile power grid.

open.substack.com

1 1

Aigerim Turgunbaeva @aigiturgunbaeva.bsky.social · Aug 7

The law was signed — despite two years of protests. Now the internet and media are under control.
Is this the end of Central Asia’s last democracy?

www.reuters.com/business/med...

Kyrgyzstan enacts media law despite rights concerns

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has signed a controversial media law that expands government control over independent outlets, despite criticism from journalists and rights groups.

www.reuters.com

Aigerim Turgunbaeva @aigiturgunbaeva.bsky.social · Aug 5

“Abortions are a deeply personal and culturally taboo topic"
My first story from one of the most closed-off countries in the world — #Turkmenistan. Closely following the situation for a year. This journey reminded again - Central Asia has a feminine face
eurasianet.org/the-silent-c...

The silent crisis: Abortion and reproductive rights in Turkmenistan

Turkmen women today are worse off than their grandmothers.

eurasianet.org

1

Reposted by Aigerim Turgunbaeva

Yan Matusevich @ymatusik.bsky.social · Jul 29

Kyrgyzstan bans online porn, but more worryingly the government imposes a monopoly on the internet, requiring all international internet traffic to go through a state-owned company

www.reuters.com/business/med...

Kyrgyzstan bans online porn in crackdown on internet freedoms

Kyrgyzstan has banned access to online pornography and imposed state control over internet traffic under new laws signed by President Sadyr Japarov, his office said on Tuesday.

www.reuters.com

1 4 8

Aigerim Turgunbaeva @aigiturgunbaeva.bsky.social · Jul 29

#Kyrgyzstan imposed state control over internet traffic under new laws signed by Sadyr Japarov. On the eve of the parliamentary and presidential elections.
www.reuters.com/business/med...

Kyrgyzstan bans online porn in crackdown on internet freedoms

Kyrgyzstan has banned access to online pornography and imposed state control over internet traffic under new laws signed by President Sadyr Japarov, his office said on Tuesday.

www.reuters.com

Aigerim Turgunbaeva @aigiturgunbaeva.bsky.social · Jul 19

Talked with Giorgio Cafiero about Central Asia, Afghanistan and Russia for The National Interest

nationalinterest.org/blog/silk-ro...

How Russia Ended the Taliban’s Isolation

From trade to infrastructure to security, Moscow and Kabul have more than a few interests in common.

nationalinterest.org

Aigerim Turgunbaeva @aigiturgunbaeva.bsky.social · Jun 26

This is devastating.
How much my colleagues and so many others have been fighting to prevent this.

#KyrgyzParliament passed the media law in two readings at once, making changes at the very last minute. Last hope has failed

www.reuters.com/business/med...

Kyrgyz parliament backs new state controls on media outlets

Kyrgyzstan's parliament has approved a bill that tightens state controls over media outlets, in what critics say is a blow to press freedom in a country once seen as more open than other Central Asian nations.

www.reuters.com

1 1

Reposted by Aigerim Turgunbaeva

Central Asia-Caucasus Institute (CACI) @caci-silkroad.bsky.social · Jun 17

The rise of the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) and growing security threats in Central Asia have pushed Moscow toward a pragmatic re-engagement with the Taliban.

Read the full article by @aigiturgunbaeva.bsky.social‬ and Fayazddin Ghiasi here: buff.ly/SwdhDzY

1 1

Aigerim Turgunbaeva @aigiturgunbaeva.bsky.social · Jun 6

You can’t stay indifferent when your love is this deep.

This isn’t just a story about #mountains — it’s about what lives within them: the forests, waters, glaciers, and the people who protect them.

#Kyrgyzstan’s #Ala-Archa National Park Under Siege

thediplomat.com/2025/06/dest...

Destruction in Paradise: Kyrgyzstan’s Ala-Archa National Park Under Siege

The construction of A-frame houses, cafes, roads, and funiculars in Ala-Archa National Park appears to violate multiple Kyrgyz laws protecting natural areas.

thediplomat.com

3 3

Aigerim Turgunbaeva @aigiturgunbaeva.bsky.social · May 29

The #crackdown on #journalists in #Kyrgyzstan continues. Eight media workers have been detained, their homes raided, equipment seized — and access to lawyers was denied until forced confessions were obtained

More in the latest for @reuters.com

www.reuters.com/business/med...

Kyrgyzstan detains eight media workers in widening crackdown

National security authorities in Kyrgyzstan have detained eight current and former employees of independent media outlet Kloop, their lawyers said, accusing them of inciting unrest amid a growing crackdown on media in the Central Asian country.

www.reuters.com

4 6

Reposted by Aigerim Turgunbaeva

Central Asia-Caucasus Institute (CACI) @caci-silkroad.bsky.social · May 21

In March, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan delimited their shared border, resolving a longstanding dispute. While this treaty could be a model for the resolution of other disputes in Central Asia, its potential to endure depends on its implementation, @aigiturgunbaeva.bsky.social‬ argues.

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan Resolve Final Border Dispute: A Historic but Fragile Peace

By Aigerim Turgunbaeva

buff.ly

3 2

Aigerim Turgunbaeva @aigiturgunbaeva.bsky.social · Apr 23

Around 60 #Kyrgyz citizens were reportedly beaten by police in #Moscow, with more than 20 detained.

Is Bishkek pushing back on Russians raids targeting Kyrgyz Nationals?

Follow the link for more
www.reuters.com/world/kyrgyz...

Kyrgyzstan detains Russian government agency worker accused of recruiting fighters for Ukraine war

Kyrgyz security services have detained four people, including an employee of a Russian government agency, on suspicion of recruiting Kyrgyz citizens to fight in the Russian army, officials said on Wednesday.

www.reuters.com

2 2

Aigerim Turgunbaeva @aigiturgunbaeva.bsky.social · Apr 16

With the date of the next presidential election announced, the course of #Kyrgyz politics for years to come seems to be set.
More context, subtext and details about, in my latest for @reuters.com

Kyrgyz leader Japarov gets parliament to reset election date

Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov has persuaded parliament to push back the date of the next election by several months, in an indication he may be turning his thoughts towards running for a second term.

www.reuters.com

1 2

Reposted by Aigerim Turgunbaeva

Joanna Lillis @joannalillis.bsky.social · Mar 18

Coming soon: my new book! Silk Mirage: Through the Looking Glass in #Uzbekistan delves into the politics, economics, history and culture, through my 24 years of experience living in/reporting from/travelling there. Pre-order from Bloomsbury, Amazon or bookshops www.bloomsbury.com/uk/silk-mira...

1 6 27

Reposted by Aigerim Turgunbaeva

Joanna Lillis @joannalillis.bsky.social · Mar 13

A colourful summary of the day’s excitement as Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan sign a border deal that should put an end to decades of disputes and a couple of deady conflicts on their border, from @peterleonard1.bsky.social reporting from the ground on Havli Substack havli.substack.com/p/kyrgyzstan...

Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan bury Soviet-era border legacy with landmark treaty

This agreement has set the stage for a major surge in trade and the promise of a new era of Central Asian unity. The treaty is not without its critics, however.

havli.substack.com

2 2

Aigerim Turgunbaeva @aigiturgunbaeva.bsky.social · Mar 11

Since retaking power, the #Taliban have pursued economic #diplomacy, reassuring #CentralAsian neighbors of border security and promoting trade expansion

Our latest observing for Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst

Central Asia-Caucasus Institute (CACI) @caci-silkroad.bsky.social · Mar 11

"The Taliban's diplomacy in Central Asia is increasingly focused on economic cooperation, prioritizing infrastructure development and trade expansion," write Aigerim Turgunbaeva and Fayazuddin Ghiasi for the Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst. Read their article here 👉 open.substack.com/pub/centrala...

The Taliban's Diplomatic and Economic Expansion in Central Asia

By Aigerim Turgunbaeva and Fayazuddin Ghiasi

open.substack.com

1 2

Aigerim Turgunbaeva @aigiturgunbaeva.bsky.social · Feb 21

#Kyrgyzstan and #Tajikistan settle border dispute that sparked clashes. Long-awaited news for Central Asia!
Big thanks @tumarov.bsky.social
for the detailed comments

Follow the link to check my latest for @reuters.com

www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan settle border dispute that sparked deadly clashes

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, two ex-Soviet Central Asian states, said on Friday that they had resolved a decades-old border dispute that had sparked clashes between different ethnic groups that had killed over a hundred people.

www.reuters.com

3 7

Aigerim Turgunbaeva @aigiturgunbaeva.bsky.social · Feb 6

🤦‍♀️

1

Aigerim Turgunbaeva @aigiturgunbaeva.bsky.social · Feb 6

Reporting this story took extra effort, as many residents were reluctant to speak openly. Discussing #China’s influence is still a sensitive—and sometimes risky—topic in #CentralAsia

Thank you @tumarov.bsky.social for your comments 🙏

My latest for @thediplomat.com

thediplomat.com/2025/02/shif...

Shifting Gears: China’s Advanced EV Hegemony in Central Asia

Economic, political, and environmental trends are accelerating Central Asia’s shift to EVs, and Chinese firms are at the forefront.

thediplomat.com

5 6

Aigerim Turgunbaeva @aigiturgunbaeva.bsky.social · Jan 17

The U.S. Treasury accused Keremet Bank, a mid-sized #Kyrgyzstan based financial institution, of coordinating with Russian officials and sanctioned defence sector lender Promsvyazbank

Follow the link for more

www.reuters.com/business/fin...

Kyrgyz lender Keremet Bank to appeal after being hit with US sanctions

Kyrgyz lender Keremet Bank on Thursday said it would challenge a decision by the U.S. Treasury to impose sanctions on it for allegedly creating a hub for trade payments and helping Russia to evade restrictions.

www.reuters.com

3 3