Regional geopolitics

[Eddo211]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Turkey confirms shelling Kurdish fighters in Syria
27 October 2015
BBC

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has confirmed that the Turkish military has attacked Kurdish fighters in northern Syria.
The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) said Turkey shot at its forces in the town of Tal Abyad on Sunday.
The YPG has been a key ally of the US in fighting the so-called Islamic State (IS) group in Syria.
Turkey fears advances by the YPG near its Syrian border could fuel separatist sentiments amongst Kurds in Turkey.
The attacks come amid increasing tensions in Turkey ahead of elections.
"We said the [YPG-aligned Democratic Union Party] PYD will not go west of the Euphrates and that we would hit it the moment it did," Mr Davutoglu told Turkish ATV television late Monday.
He gave no further details.
It is not the first time the YPG has said Turkey has attacked them. In July they said Turkey had shelled them in the Kurdish-held village of Zormikhar, which Turkey denied.
In a separate incident, Turkey has confirmed detaining 30 IS militants during a dawn raid on Tuesday.


Police conducted simultaneous operations against IS cells in the central Anatolian city of Konya and the nearby town of Cumra, the Dogan news agency reported.
It comes a day after a deadly shoot-out with suspected IS militants in the city of Diyarbakir on Monday which left two police officers and seven militants dead.
Another five officers were injured and 12 militants were detained, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said.
AFP news agency said this was the first clash with IS militants on Turkish soil since Turkey launched air strikes on IS targets in Syria in July.
Turkey has stepped up operations against IS since the group was blamed for twin blasts that killed more than 100 people in Ankara this month.
Tensions are running high in Turkey just five days ahead of general elections.
The double bombing in Ankara - targeting a Kurdish peace rally - was the country's most deadly, and came amid an upsurge of fighting between Turkish forces and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels.
Prime Minister Davutoglu said the bombings were an attempt to influence the 1 November elections.
Many of the victims were activists of the pro-Kurdish HDP party, which believes its delegation at the rally was specifically targeted.

Not first time Turks kill Kurds in order to keep them united in Turkey.....spectacular logic.
Now in Syria they have made an excuse just like how they play with PKK.
Turks are really good at this.
Kurdistan, hoorah.

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Վրաց-ադրբեջանական «գործարք»` Հայաստանի թիկունքո՞ւմ

https://www.yerkir.am/news/view/95330.html

28 Հոկտեմբերի 2015,



Վրաստանում իշխող «Վրացական ///// կապող օղակի դերում:

Գևորգ Դարբինյան

Սերժ Սարգսյանի անակնկալ այցը Թբիլիսի
Lragir.am
Քաղաքականություն - 29 Հոկտեմբերի 2015,

Վրացական ԶԼՄ-ները տեղեկացնում են, որ վաղը Սերժ Սարգսյանը մեկնելու է Վրաստան, որտեղ հանդիպումներ է ունենալու այդ երկրի նախագահի, վարչապետի եւ խորհրդարանի նախագահի հետ: Վրաստանի նախագահի նստավայրում երկու երկրների նախագահները համատեղ հայտարարություն կանեն ԶԼՄ-ների համար:
Վրացական մամուլը հայտնում է, որ այցի հիմնական թեման հայտնի չէ: Հնարավոր է Հայաստանի նախագահը Թբիլիսիում քննարկելու է Հայաստանի տարածքով Իրանի գազի տարանցումը Վրաստան: Վրաստանի փոխվարչապետը հայտարարել է, որ մտադիր է այցելել Իրան՝ քննարկելու իրանական գազը Վրաստան տեղափոխելու հարցը:
- See more at: http://www.lragir.am/index/arm/0/pol....GX7VbbUs.dpuf

[Artashes]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Latest Syria headline reads ... Saudy says Iran must agree that Assad has to go ...
Does anyone think the the Arab desert monarchy's care about the Syrian?
Those conniving desert goons are going to decide what?
They are worried about Iran but don't care about the Syrian population they have been ACTIVELY destroying.
The Russians , Iranians, & Hizbola are the *** only *** ligitimate foriegn forces in Syria. All else have been fueling the flames of war & horror for their own fraudulent benifit.
So the dress waring sudsys have decided to continue to manipulate this horror story that they actively created.
They (desert princes) got one problem ... Russia is thumping their proxy terrorist and all others with great vigor. Not nearly, not remotely with as much vigor as they (Russian) can.
Those who walk around in gowns can run their mouths, however it takes more than jaw flapping to stop a Russian jet(s).
Also the Iranians aren't impressed either.
Soody propaganda and nothing more.
P/S .. I've seen nicer dresses at 2nd hand stores.

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

[Zeytun]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Gas Politics: Prez Sargsyan visiting Tbilisi amid Georgia’s talks with Gazprom

http://armenianow.com/news/region/67388/armenia_georgia_visit_serzh_sargsyan

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is visiting neighboring Georgia today, October 30. The visit was announced only the day before, giving rise to assumptions that some transformations are being prepared in the region.

These views strengthened even more after the release of an official report on the visit that said that “new prospects for promoting the Armenian-Georgian agenda will be outlined.”

The new prospects, apparently, are being outlined in the gas sector. Georgia is conducting active negotiations with Russia’s gas giant Gazprom on the purchase of more natural gas. Currently, Georgia receives from Gazprom about 3 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, 2 billion cubic meters are transited to Armenia and part of it is taken as a fee for the transit and another small part is used for commercial purposes. Georgia receives the bulk of its gas from Azerbaijan.

Many in Tbilisi do not understand why Georgia needs Russian gas if Azerbaijan can fully meet its demands. However, apparently, the initiative belongs to Russia, which wants through Georgia and Armenia to sell natural gas to Iran.

Iran has one of the largest gas reserves in the world, but, as Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak explained – Russia and Iran agree on swap gas supplies. In other words, Iran buys Russian gas at the border with Armenia for its northern regions, and due to this in the south it sells its gas as Russian. Thus, Russia hopes to bring its gas to the Persian Gulf.

Economists estimate the benefits from such a project as minimal, however, in the political sense, Russia gains control of the Armenian-Georgian transit of Iranian gas and does not allow Europe to receive Iranian gas through the Armenian-Georgian transit.

This project was rather negatively perceived in Georgia, which may economically, however, benefit from it. However, the Georgian opposition is strongly against building relations with Gazprom, which is often called the “Russian occupation tool”.

President Sargsyan’s visit to Tbilisi, however, may be evidence that Russia has managed to convince Armenia and Georgia. In fact, the essence of the project is to block the transit of Iranian gas to Europe, which, apparently, will have to find other ways, again bypassing Armenia and Georgia. While there might be some economic benefits for Armenia from the Russian-Iranian project, politically Yerevan again risks to lose by becoming a partner of Russia in an anti-Western project.

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Syria conflict: Powers backing rivals meet in Vienna

News | 30.10.2015 | 12:32




BBC - The first talks bringing together all foreign powers backing rival sides in Syria's civil war are due to open.

The meeting in Vienna will seek to close the gap between the US and its allies, who support the rebels, and the key foreign allies of the Syrian government, Russia and Iran.

It is the first time Iran has been involved in the diplomacy.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged participants to show flexibility" and "global leadership".

The four-year-old war in Syria, which began with an uprising against Mr Assad, has left 250,000 people dead and forced half the country's population - or 11 million people - from their homes.

Russia and Iran have recently stepped up their military involvement in the conflict, backing forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The US, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab nations have long insisted that he cannot play a long-term role in Syria's future.

"He will go either through a political process or he will be removed by force," Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told the BBC ahead of the talks.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that other powers had realised that there was no way reaching "a reasonable solution" to the Syrian conflict without involving Tehran.

Foreign ministers held informal talks in Vienna on Thursday, with the substantive discussions scheduled for Friday.

US Secretary of State John Kerry also met Mr Zarif on Thursday, as well as the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Foreign ministers from the UK, France, Germany, Egypt, Lebanon and the EU have also confirmed they will attend the meeting, and other Middle Eastern powers are also expected.

A Western diplomat called the Vienna talks "embryonic", while another said that simply keeping opposing sides from walking out would count as success.

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

USA sending special forces to Syria to fight ISIS..LOL what a crock of bull!

[Artashes]

Re: Regional geopolitics

USA sending special forces to Syria to fight ISIS..LOL what a crock of bull!

Yes , an entire 50 SF/USA entering the Syrian conflict. That's gotta be scary , lol.
This is a politicle game by USA/cohorts. A sickening game.
None of this politicle crap by west/gown wearers is going to slow down the Russian allied THUMP.
USA gonna send 50 spotters to coordinate calling in airstrikes with kurd help (lol).
Syria has thousands of spotters and Russia is scouring that intel with a fine tooth comb.
50 special forces ... That's a politicle game . Maybe you could over run a local mcdonalds with a whole 50 forces , but I dought Isis is gonna crumble.
11 million displaced & 250,000 killed and USA got an idea how to HELP the terrorized Syrians ... Send in 50 special forces to work with the altruistic (sarcasm) kurds.
Brilliant idea America.

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Կործանված ռուսական օդանավի ազգությամբ հայ ուղևորը 40 տարեկան էր (ԼՈՒՍԱՆԿԱՐՆԵՐ)
Հասարակություն
31 Հոկտեմբերի 2015,
Yerkir Am


ՀՀ արտաքին գործերի նախարարությունից տեղեկացրել են, որ որ Շարմ էլ Շեյխից Սանկտ Պետերբուրգ չվերթն իրականացնող կործանված ռուսական օդանավի ուղեւորների ցուցակում Հայաստանի քաղաքացիներ չկան, իսկ ինչ վերաբերվում է ազգությամբ հայերին, ապա դեռ ճշտում են:

Yerkir.am-ին հաջողվեց պարզել, որ կործանված օդանավի ուղևորներից ազգությամբ հայ է 40-ամյա Լեոնիդ Մնացականովը: Նա ՌԴ քաղաքացիություն ունի, երկար տարիներ է, ինչ բնակվում է Սանկտ Պետերբուրգում:

Yerkir.am-ի հետ զրույցում Մնացականովի մտերիմներից Մարիա Ղուկասյանը հայտնեց, որ մինչև հիմա ուշքի չեն գալիս կատարվածից:

Նրա խոսքով՝ դեռևս հայտնի չէ՝ Լեոնիդը մահացած է, թե ոչ:

Հիշեցնենք, որ վերջին տվյալներով՝ օդանավի կործանման վայրում հայտնաբերվել է մոտ 100 դի:

Ավելի վաղ հայտնել էինո, որ Եգիպտոսի Սինայի թերակղզու կենտրոնական մասում կործանվել է ռուսական քաղաքացիական ինքնաթիռ։ Օդանավում եղել է 224 մարդ, այդ թվում՝ 17 երեխա:

Լուսանկարները՝ Լեոնիդ Մնացականովի ցոցիալական ցանցի էջից:

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

'HOLD ON, DO NOT STRIKE, THINK FOR A MOMENT, WHERE IS TALL ABYAD?

Radikal, Turkey
27 October 2015

by Fehim Tastekin

According to the YPG [Peoples' Defense Units, armed wing of Democratic
Union Party, PYD], Tall Abyad was hit from Turkey. Erdogan roared,
"This is a threat; necessary action will be taken." For whom does
Tall Abyad pose a threat? Let us take a look...

Everyone is anxious. People keep asking what we are going to face next
until 1 November. Will it be an act of madness to go into Syria? There
is mist in the air. As the clocks were adjusted to uncertainty,
the news came that Turkey opened fire on the Kurdish positions in
Tall Abyad.

The accusation came from the YPG, the defense force in Rojava
[Kurdish term for west, used in reference to northern Syria] which
became legendary with the resistance it put up against ISIL: "The
Turkish military carried out attacks with A4 rifles against the YPG
positions along the border line on 24 October between 1900-2100 and
again on 25 October between 0200-0400 using MG3 machine guns."

The TSK [Turkish Armed Forces] remains quiet, so does the government.

However, the threat is obvious. While attacking the opposition,
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened the Syrian Kurds:

"They are after their own interests and when needed, they are capable
of cooperating with the PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party] or with DA'ISH
[Arabic acronym for ISIL]. Is this not what they did in Tall Abyad?

DA'ISH went into Tall Abyad and later, DA'ISH left the place and this
time, the PYD went into Tall Abyad. This is all a collective game.

Whom does the place belong? Some 95 percent is Arabs and Turkmen while
five percent is Kurdish. Their plan was to turn the town into a canton
and in fact, they declared it a canton. This is now beginning to pose
a threat to Turkey; therefore, Turkey will take necessary action. Let
this be known by everyone."

Sometimes people remain silent because they have no other option,
sometimes they cannot speak because they have a dry mouth. It is a
nightmare; if one were to faint and collapse, one would be relieved
but this is not possible, either!

He [referring to Erdogan] was not able to stomach the freedom of Tall
Abyad, which the Kurds, together with Arabs, saved from ISIL in June
in northern Syria in the way he was unable to stomach Kobane ['Ayn al
'Arab], which did not allow ISIL to defile it.

No matter how one looks at the remarks, they make one's heart bleed.

Before our inside starts bleeding, let us begin with the following
point:

Who Presented Tall Abyad to ISIL?

On 19 July 2012 as the Kurds began to take their region under control
starting with Kobane, Turkey handed Bab al-Hawa, situated across
from Cilvegozu border gate, to armed groups. I said "handed" because
the group, which calls itself "Taliban Council," captured Bab al-Hawa
after entering Syria through Cilvegozu. The same day, Jarabulus border
gate across from Karkamis in Turkey fell. Subsequently, on 22 July
al-Salama border gate across from Oncupinar border gate in Turkey was
captured. On 19 September 2012, the jihadist groups backed by Turkey
captured Tall Abyad across from Akcakale in Turkey. Those individuals
made their way to the Turkish side of the border in buses. During
the rift between al-Nusrah and ISIL, ISIL eliminated its partner in
Tall Abyad and became the sole ruler of the district in 2014. Until
that point, all of them were Turkey's valued revolutionaries. ISIL
was ignored. When Tall Abyad was turned into the most significant
border gate of the declared "Islamic State," this, too, was ignored.

Let us pose the question once again: who in fact handed Tall Abyad
over to ISIL?

Second Issue: Who Drew ISIL out of Tall Abyad?

If only it were Turkey that had driven ISIL out. However, under US
air support, Burkan al-Furat [Euphrates Volcano] and Thuwwar al-Raqqa
[Raqqa Revolutionaries' Brigade], made up of the YPG and Arabs,
expelled ISIL from Tall Abyad last June.

It was Kurds and Arabs who expelled ISIL. Following this defeat,
ISIL infiltrated Kobane and cost tens of lives. Kurds paid the price,
and ISIL made them pay.

Let us ask; how is this a collective action between ISIL and the YPG?

Third Issue: Whom Does Tall Abyad Belong?

The percentage of the Kurds is allegedly five percent. Is this really
the case? Does this figure come from ISIL's civil registry office?

Prior to the crisis, the Kurdish population in Tall Abyad made up of
40-45 percent of the overall population. Nevertheless, the figure
five percent may be accurate: the groups backed by Turkey carried
out ethnic cleansing once they captured Tall Abyad. On 19 July 2013,
in public announcements made from loudspeakers in mosques, the Kurds
were threatened and told they would be killed unless they left. The
ensuing hunt for Kurds continued until 5 August. The houses of
the Kurds who were dispelled were occupied by foreign fighters who
came from outside. When ISIL became the only power in Tall Abyad
in January 2014, it expelled the remaining Kurds. In confiscated
Kurdish businesses, notices that said, "State Property," were put
up. (When ISIL refers to the organization in short, it says "state"
not DA'ISH.) I would have no objection if somebody maintained that
the Kurdish population during the ISIL period was five percent!

According to some information I gathered, only 40 percent of the Kurds
who fled the jihadists in 2013 was able to return. Of 250 Armenian
families who fled to Aleppo, only 50 were able to return.

My point is no one can win the argument whether Tall Abyad is Arab,
Kurd, or Turkmen. This is a complicated and long story. Make sure the
officials in Ankara do not find out that those who built modern Tall
Abyad were the Armenians expelled from Anatolia in 1915!

Fourth Issue: Who Rules Tall Abyad? Is Canton Being Established?

Following the work TEV-DEM [Democratic Society Movement in Syria]
did with the representatives of the tribes in Tall Abyad, an executive
organ and an assembly were formed. There are seven Arabs, four Kurds,
two Turkmen, and one Armenian in the executive organ. A representation
in line with the ethnic distribution! Similarly, in line with the
ethnic distribution, an assembly with 113 members was formed. Even
though the Kurds are the organizing force, this picture goes against
the outcry, "Kurds captured Tall Abyad."

Similar to the other cantons in Rojava, the cochairperson system is in
place in the governance set up in Tall Abyad. Mansur Sallum from the
Arab community and Leyla Mustafa, a Kurdish woman, are sitting in the
cochair seats. Given the sociological state of the region, the fact
that a woman is sitting in the seat of the cochair is progress. The
task of the administration is to manage the law and order as well as
the economy of this small settlement unit in the midst of a war zone.

In political terms, Tall Abyad became linked to Kobane canton. No new
canton has been declared but why would it matter if one were declared?

Given that the Kurds in central Tall Abyad are from villages around
Kobane, among them there is a sense of belonging to Kobane. In other
words, at least as far as the Kurds are concerned, they have no issue
with being affiliated with Kobane.

Does Tall Abyad Pose Threat to Turkey After All?

Given that the cantons in Rojava so far did not pose any threat
to Turkey, why should Tall Abyad pose a threat? Even though armed
groups used our borders several times to attack Syria, so far the YPG
did not target Turkey. The Kurdish sources I contacted following the
news that the TSK had attacked Rojava had this to say: " We are aware
of the game that is being played. If the YPG responds, they [Turkish
officials] will turn to the world and say, 'Look, they are a terrorist
organization'. Kurds are being careful not to fall into that trap."

Given that the government did not have the slightest concern nor
protested by saying, "This is a threat targeting Turkey" when Tall
Abyad was in ISIL hands, it should clearly explain why it is now
feeling fearful. If the construction of an autonomous structure within
the borders of Syria is problematic, let the Syrian state first worry
about it!

Could Government Become Mad Enough To Intervene in Syria?

Despite all the threats, PYD's legitimacy base is widening within
the international arena. Ilham Ahmad, a member of TEV-DEM Executive
Council, held talks in the United States. After that, PYD Cochair Asya
Abdullah was in Moscow last week. Apart from Abdullah, Enver Muslim,
Kobane canton chair, and Abdullassalam Ali, PYD's representative in
Russia, attended the meeting with Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia's deputy
foreign secretary. Last Saturday, speaking at the 43rd session of the
legislative assembly in Jazira, PYD Cochair Salih Muslim announced that
they would open representative offices in Berlin, Paris, and Moscow.

In the international arena, the Kurds are reaping the rewards of the
strategic reason that they pursue as part of their third way tactic.

The "new Ottoman," which purports to recreate the Middle East, is
hitting the self-rule practice of a district with a population of
50,000 but is not even in a position to openly claim responsibility
for it. Apart from the Kurds, the United States and Russia are part
of the Syria equation. Both powers are adamant that they will move
forward with the Kurds. Every move Ankara makes to reverse these
developments is consolidating the picture that shows Turkey in the
same frame with ISIL.

Those who argue, "The PYD is synonymous with ISIL" or "For us,
the PYD poses a bigger danger than ISIL," are looking for a pretext
along the borderlines. Why is a pretext needed? It is to hamper the
cooperation between the United States, Russia and the YPG and the
PYD, to condemn the Kurds as terrorists in the international arena,
to hit the HDP [Peoples' Democratic Party], which they somehow failed
to push under the electoral threshold, and to maintain the anomaly
created at home... As the Kurdish sources point out, I hope the YPG
will not provide that pretext.

[Groong note: the above was translated from Turkish]