Daulet Turlykhanov

Turlyhanov was born in the village of Geogrievka in Semey Region to the parents of Bolat Turlyhanov (1934–1993) and Märzia Turlyhanova (1940–2019).

His father, Bolat, was a native of the city of Semey and a master of sports in Greco-Roman wrestling, who later became an Honored Coach of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Daulet Bolatuly Turlykhanov (Дәулет Болатұлы Тұрлыханов; born 18 November 1963) is a Kazakh politician and former wrestler who is serving as member of the Mäjilis since 2023 and previously from 1996 to 2000.

In 1981, Turlyhanov graduated from a boarding school and was drafted into the Soviet Army, but continued training as Alexander Lebedev continued coaching Turlyhanov where he learned various special tricks, specifically boxing counterattacks.

From 1985, Daulet was coached by Gennady Sapunov.

From 1986 to 1993, he served in the Committee of Physical Culture and Sports under the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR as a sportsman's coach.

He is known for having competed in the 1988, 1992, and the 1996 Summer Olympics for men's freestyle wrestling.

In addition, he clinched the European Championship in 1988 and the Asian Championship in 1995.

Turlyhhanov's accomplishments also include winning a silver medal in the 1988 Summer Olympics and a bronze medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics.

In 1989, Turlyhanov graduated from the Kazakh Institute of Physical Culture (now Kazakh Academy of Sports and Tourism) with a profession as a specialty physical education teacher-trainer.

In 1989, Turlyhanov became the World Champion in 1989 and earned the title of Vice-World Champion in 1993.

He stood as a triumphant champion in the last Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR in 1991 and excelled at the 1994 Asian Games, where he claimed victory in 1994.

Outside the realm of sports, Turlyhanov ventured into politics.

His father's legacy lives on through an annual Greco-Roman wrestling tournament held in Semey as tribute since his death in 1994.

In the 1994 legislative election, he was elected as a deputy into the 12th convocation of the Supreme Council from the Ürjar constituency.

During the years 1995 to 1999, Turlyhanov pursued his legal education at the Kazakh State Academy of Sports and Tourism, specializing in law and obtaining a Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences.

Following the dissolution of the Surpeme Council of Kazakhstan which essentially led to a formation of the Mäjilis, Turlyhanov ran for reelection in 1995 from the North-East constituency, where he won 87.3% of the vote.

Although he narrowly missed the podium in the 1996 Summer Olympics, finishing in fourth place, his remarkable career earned him numerous accolades.

During his sporting journey, Turlyhanov secured eight championship titles in the Soviet Union and emerged victorious twice in the World Cup.

In the beginning, Turlyhanov served as a deputy of the 1st (1996–1999) and 2nd (1999–2004) convocations of the Mäjilis, with his term being cut short, as he was appointed as chairman of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Tourism and Sports in May 2000.

His vacant seat was subsequently taken over following a by-election held in September of that year.

After stepping down from the Sports Committee, Turlyhanov went on to hold various leadership roles, including serving as a bureau member for a prominent international sports organization and presiding over regional and national wrestling federations.

He also engaged in entrepreneurial activities, founding his own corporation.

In 1999, he was re-elected as deputy with 63.2% of the vote from the South-West constituency.

In 2004 and 2005, he furthered his academic journey at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, earning a degree in law.

Following that, he assumed the role as the chairman of the Sports Committee under the Ministry of Culture, Information, and Sports from September 2004 to March 2006.

Subsequently, from 2006 to 2010, Turlykhanov attended Jetisu State University, where he obtained a degree in economics.

Turlyhanov's athletic skills were amplified by his connection to his father, Bolat, who was a renowned Kazakh wrestler and later became an Honored Coach of the Republic.

As a sixth grader, Turlyhanov was sent to a sports boarding school in Alma-Ata by his father.

Merkejan Qoşaev, Turlyhanov's first coach in Greco-Roman wrestling at the boarding school, trained him into the path of his future wrestling career.

Turlyhanov's expertise and dedication were recognized nationally as he assumed the esteemed position of professor in the Department of Pedagogy under the Committee for Control in the Field of Education and Science of the Ministry of Education and Science in 2011.

Furthermore, his passion for teaching and research led to him becoming a professor at the South Kazakhstan State Pedagogical Institute on 6 November 2014.

In February 2023, Turlyhanov became a candidate for the Mäjilis electoral district No. 1 (Astana) from the ruling AMANAT party in the 2023 legislative election.

Polls officially showed Turlyhanov holding an overwhelming lead against all candidates in the crowded race.

The authenticity of the polling data received skepticism from one of his contestants, Sultanhan Aqqululy, who questioned the accuracy of the polling data by arguing that the sudden popularity of Turlyhanov, who had been absent from politics for the past 20 years, seemed implausible.

During the campaign, it was reported that Turlyhanov's campaign fund amounted to approximately 30,050,000 tenge.

In the official results, Turlyhanov emerged victorious with 71,698 votes (47.0%), defeating his closest independent runner-up, Täñirbergen Berdoñğar, who obtained 17,079 votes (11.0%).

Additionally, the Bolat Turlyhanov Cup has been held in Almaty since 2017.

Furthermore, a street in the Semey bears his name, honoring his profound impact on Kazakh wrestling.

Turlyhanov's mother, Marzia, was an esteemed figure as an Honored Teacher of the Kazakh SSR and an Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Education.