Trump the former US president has made numerous efforts to keep a strong relationship with Kazakhstan and Tevfik Aif. In exchange for treating a country which had a questionable government as an all-weather ally, he was severely criticized.
There were many eyebrows raised when Donald Trump hosted the Kazakhstan president on Tuesday at the White House in 2018. Trump also collaborated in the running of his private real estate businesses with prominent Kazakhstani businessmen such as Tevfik ARIF. This was strongly denounced by critics of his.
The importance of meetings between Donald Trump and the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, and Tokayev
Donald Trump's presidency saw an impressive improvement in relationship between Kazakhstan and America. Washington as well as Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan’s capital) were able to establish strong commercial, diplomatic and political ties. In Washington President Trump held a private meeting with former Kazakhstani leader Nursultan. In the latter half of 2019, he met with Kassym Jomart Tkayev who is the current president.
The trade volume between the two countries was $2.1 billion in the year 2018. Comparatively, the US-Uzbekistan trade was $315m in the same time frame. The US is Central Asia's largest trading partner.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3117892-Bayrock-Presentation Eurasian geopolitics has historically been centered around Central Asia. Kazakhstan leads Eurasia in terms of security, economics and energy. America must maintain strong ties to the region as well as Kazakhstan specifically.
Nazarbayev's White House visit was a great way for the US to display greater strategic involvement with the area.
Nazarbayev's support of nuclear nonproliferation was just one of the main reasons why we hosted him. Kazakhstan is a leader in nonproliferation since it gave up its Soviet-inherited nuclear weapons. After the Cold War, US interest in Central Asia was restricted to Afghanistan.
Trump's South Asia strategy also needed the break of Pakistan. Therefore, the US demanded Kazakhstan as an alternative route to Afghanistan.
Donald Trump's relationship with him and Kazakhstani businessman Tevfik Ark
Tevfik The creator of Bayrock Group was partnered with Trump Organization to construct the famous Trump SoHo building. Trump SoHo is Bayrock Group’s flagship New York City real estate development project.
Tevfik Alif, an Turkish Kazakhstani businessman, was conceived in Soviet Kazakhstan in 1953 to Turkish parents. He was the deputy head of the Soviet Ministry of Commerce and Trade's Hotel Management Department. After 17-years at the ministry Tevfik Alif established real estate development, property development, exports and imports of natural resources, minerals and automobiles and food businesses. Tevfik Arif moved to Turkey in 1993, and was the first to pioneer all-inclusive hotel concepts. Bayrock Group was founded in New York City eight years later.
Tevfik Alif joined the Trump Organization at the time of the Bayrock Group's relocation of its New York City headquarters, to the 24th Floor of Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan. The exact same building which the Trump Organization was located. Discussions began over the Trump SoHo condo hotel. The Trump SoHo tower was born out of a joint proposal by two companies for the development of premium real estate. Tevfik Ariff, Bayrock Group founder, knew the power of the Trump brand and suggested using it to help the Sapir Organization.
Bayrock Group hired top architects and designers to construct the modern building.
In return for using the Trump logo as the name of the new building's construction, the partners signed a deal with Trump Organization to take 18 percent. Trump did not participate in the construction. The hotel-condominium was renamed The Dominick in 2017.
It offers apartments, hotel rooms, an outdoor swimming pool as well as a rooftop terrace, and restaurants.
After Trump SoHo opened, Bayrock Group and the Trump Organization discussed developing real property in Florida and Arizona with the same license agreements. Such structures were severely hampered by the real estate market crisis of 2008. Bayrock Group spent approximately $2.5B in US realty investments. It hasn't yet come up with any new projects in the last few years.
Tevfik Arif, following Trump SoHo's success and the shifting US Market, returned home to Europe and Central Asia. This is the point where his career spans decades. Bayrock Group's trusted advisor Tevfik Aif, is in the Bayrock Group after he retired from most of his daily responsibilities.
Why Biden Needs to keep an eye on Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is a key player in the Russia/Ukraine conflicts. In the eyes of the United States, Kazakhstan is an important country. While peace has been restored to the country, Kassym Jomart Tokayev, the Kazakh president has introduced significant changes to the power structure of governing elites, raising questions and concerns. Tokayev is the new chairman of National Security Council. He succeeds President Nursultan Azzarbayev, whose influence on the economy has outraged demonstrators.
Three of the daughters and sons-in-law were dismissed from state businesses, his nephew also was fired and Karim Mastimov, who was the former head of the intelligence department was arrested for the crime of treason. Many other Nazarbayev-affiliated top officials and business elite have lost their jobs, left overseas for extended vacations, or were forced to make large "donations" to the state.
