Minister for Religious Affairs and Civil Society

On 13 September 2016, he was made Minister for Religious Affairs and Civil Society of Kazakhstan, with the ministry being established the same day. His tenure was marked with the management of the trend of Islamic extremists in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. In May 2017, Yermekbayev said that despite his efforts, "no state enjoys absolute protection" against radicalism.^[4] This followed an attack the previous summer by Islamic militants at a National Guard facility in Aktobe, which resulted in the deaths of three people.^[5] He acknowledged that because of the attacks, he ordered a moderate terrorist alert be put in place and then deactivated after the situation was stabilized, which he said "did not require much time". In an op-ed in The Diplomat, he stated that the rooting out of Islamic extremism needs to be at the "top of the global agenda" and that it "must start with young people who have been deliberately targeted by the extremists".^[6]

Minister of Defence

Yermekbayev and Sergey Shoygu inspecting a guard of honour at the Ministry of Defence of Russia.

On 4 April 2018, by the decree of the Nursultan Nazarbayev, he was dismissed from the post of Minister for Religious Affairs and Civil Society and was appointed Secretary of the Security Council once again. He was appointed as a Defense Minister on 7 August 2018 by Nazarbayev, succeeding Colonel General Saken Zhasuzakov.^{[7][8][9][10][11][12]} Due to his prior experience in the Soviet Army, Yermekbayev was granted the rank of Major General by Nazarbayev on 18 March 2019, effectively returning him to military service and making him the first minister to have served in a civilian and military capacity in the same tenure.^[13] In August 2019, he presided over the events of the 5th International Army Games led by the Russian Ministry of Defence, in which "over 5,000 soldiers from 39 countries are taking part" according to Yermekbayev.^[14] When describing the deployment of the KAZBAT to Lebanon as part of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, he said it is "a matter of national importance since it is the fulfilment by the Republic of Kazakhstan of its obligations to the world community" during working visit to the Iliyski Training Site in the Almaty Region.^[15] He later visited Beirut to meet with members of the battalion and the joint-Indian Army contingent. During this visit, he also held negotiations with National Defense Minister Elias Bou Saab.^[16]

On 6 May 2020, on the eve of the Defender of the Fatherland Day celebration, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General.^[17]

Resignation

Following the explosion at the arms depot in Jambyl Region, allegedly caused by fire which resulted in injuries and deaths of several military personnel, Yermekbayev at a briefing on 27 August 2021 announced his intent to resign, adding that the final decision would be made by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.^[18] On 31 August, it became known that Yermekbayev's resignation was accepted, with him being succeeded by Murat Bektanov.^[19][20][21]

During one of his interviews Yermekbayev commented on his decision to resign, stating that it was a matter of an officer’s and of a general’s honor to accept political responsibility by voluntary retirement, whilst it was for the investigation to bring to account those truly responsible. ^[22]

A thorough investigation of what happened lasted over two years. In October 2023, a Military Court ruled that the fire and the explosions that followed it were the result of deliberate arson committed by two servicemen with the aim of personal revenge on their superior – the commander of a military unit - for personal reasons.

These servicemen were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. Various criminal penalties were also imposed on the officers of that military unit.^[23]