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Re: Regional geopolitics
In video: The moment Russian ambassador to Turkey was shot (18+)
In video: The moment Russian ambassador to Turkey was shot (18+)
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Re: Regional geopolitics
Syrian Democratic Forces reach Euphrates, besiege ISIS-held area
By Ivan Yakovlev - 19/12/2016
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continue their large-scale offensive in Raqqa province which comes as a second phase of the 'Wrath of Euphrates' military operation.
On Sunday, SDF troops backed by the US-led coalition's air forces reached the bank of Euphrates river southwest of Tiyasah village effectively splitting territory held by the so-called "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) in two parts, with the western part now being completely besieged. According to a report by Kurdish media outlet, ANHA, a total of 54 villages located on a territory of 578 square kilometers stretched along the western bank of Euphrates are now isolated from the main ISIS forces to the east.
During their last weekend advance SDF troops managed to capture Bursinjar Al-Shimali, Bursinjar Al-Janoubi, Sehbah, Abu Al-Jallat, Khaji Suleiman, Hazum, Hassan Khaji and Muhammad Al Sheikh villages. Overall, 45 villages stretching over 440 square kilometers have been captured from ISIS terrorists so far.
According to ANHA correspondents following the 'Wrath of Euphrates' campaign, SDF command is now focused on Haniyah, Bir Zaher, Karawan, Bir Zayed, and Toyhana villages. Capturing them will allow to expand the buffer zone which separates the besieged area from ISIS "mainland".
Map credits: Joene
Sources: ANHA, Al-Masdar News RussianComment
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Re: Regional geopolitics
You fk with us we will fk with youOriginally posted by Haykakan View Post
"Gunman wounds three in Zurich mosque rampage, motive unclear"
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Re: Regional geopolitics
Erdogan, Putin agree that assassination of Karlov was to ruin relations
By Paul Antonopoulos - 19/12/2016
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan claimed that he and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agree that the killing of Andrey Karlov, Moscow's envoy to Ankara, was an attempt to ruin relations between Turkey and Russia.
"We know that this is a provocation aimed at destroying the process of normalization in relations between Turkey and Russia," said Erdogan during a televised broadcast after a phone conversation with Putin.
Andrey Karlov was shot dead while delivering a speech on the opening of a photo exhibition dubbed “Russia in the eyes of Turks” on Monday.
Meanwhile, Putin carried Erdogan's sentiments.
"The crime that was committed is without doubt a provocation aimed at disrupting the normalization of Russian-Turkish relations and disrupting the peace process in Syria that is being actively advanced by Russia, Turkey and Iran," said Putin during a televised speech.
"There can be only one answer to this -- stepping up the fight against terrorism, and the bandits will feel this," he added.
The footage of the assassination was captured on video, which can be seen here.Comment
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Re: Regional geopolitics
The eurowussies are enjoying their multiculturism. Nothing makes me more glad.Originally posted by Haykakan View PostComment
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Re: Regional geopolitics
On December 21 the president of Iran Hasan Rowhani will visit Armenia. His visit has been discussed for several times now but despite statements at different levels, Rowhani visits Armenia four years after his election, ahead of the next presidential elections in Iran.
When the Iran-Armenia relations, the mutual political-military importance of the two countries are concerned, the lack of high-level meetings for several years becomes a non-ordinary, strange reality.
On the other hand, the impact of Armenia’s dependence on Russia on the Iran-Armenia relations is obvious. Russia is following these relations attentively to ensure that there are no developments which would foster the weakening and overcoming of economic dependence of Armenia on Russia. This makes the Armenian government cautious in its relations with Iran, which is expressed in the lack of high-level relations between Armenia and Iran because purely protocol meetings are unacceptable to the Iranian side, and Iran expects specific content and follow-up.
In addition, the Iranian president Rowhani announced about the need for proper follow-up immediately after his elections, several times through years.
Now the Iranian president is arriving in Armenia. Does this mean that the substantial content that Iran expects from a high-level Iran-Armenia meeting has come up? At least, no such u-turn or novelty is on the ground.
A few weeks ago Armenia and Iran pre-signed a gas deal under which Armenia can buy gas from Iran and sell to other countries but obviously it cannot be implemented without Gazprom, the owner of the gas network in Armenia.
The situation may change if a new gas pipeline is discussed during Rowhani’s visit, and the presidents of the two countries state having discussed it. Or if there are new developments in the Iran-Armenia railway construction. Will Iran help Armenia to accelerate the construction of the North-South highway, especially in the south which is the most complicated one?
The fact is that the agenda of the meeting is not published ahead of the visit.
Moreover, after a long break the visit of the Iranian president to Armenia seems to be part of the series of Eurasian visits. Rowhani arrives in Armenia for one day. According to the staff of the Iranian president, Rowhani comes to Armenia for a day and he will leave for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. In fact, he is visiting the three “southern” countries of the five EAEU member states. In this context, it is possible that the Iranian president is visiting Armenia for the EAEU-Iran relations rather than bilateral Iran-Armenia prospects to discuss issues with Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Apparently, ahead of the visit of Rowhani to Moscow. Recently, official Tehran has stated that Rowhani has accepted Putin’s invitation to visit Moscow.
It is known that the issue of free trade with Iran is being discussed at the level of the EAEU. Armenia may have some interest but it is not the bilateral Iran-Armenia relation and has nothing to do with the political-military importance that it has for Armenia.
At the same time, the spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, commenting on the visit of the prime minister of Israel to Azerbaijan, stated that Baku should not have accepted that visit. Iran complained that Azerbaijan has gone for Israel’s policy of controversies among Islamic states.
Interestingly, the statement made in this connection and the information of the Iranian side on the visit of the Iranian president to Armenia were on the same day, almost coincided. It is interesting whether Rowhani would have decided to visit Armenia had Baku not received the prime minister of Israel. Is the visit of the Iranian president to Armenia Tehran’s answer to the Azerbaijani-Israeli negotiations?
Hayastan or Bust.Comment
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Re: Regional geopolitics
Foreign Ministers of Russia, Iran and Turkey agree to solve Syrian crisis
By Paul Antonopoulos - 20/12/2016
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday that his Russian and Turkish counterparts have found a common cause in settling the Syrian war.
"The joint statement stipulates Iran, Russia and Turkey’s obligations with regard to their assistance in settling the conflict in Syria," he said.
"We’re moving forward very seriously, logically and consistently. Also, humanitarian aid will be provided and a political solution will be searched for, ensuring respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of Syria while the emphasis will be on the political solution as the final settlement of the Syrian issue," he said.
"In our statement today we say that the three countries pledge to fight together against the Islamic State (ISIS), Jabhat al-Nusra and the affiliated organizations," Zarif said.
"We also pledged to separate these groups from other forces in Syria," he said. "This is the first, very important and very necessary step towards creating conditions for a permanent, lasting ceasefire in Syria."
"We hope that Iran, Russia and Turkey’s joint efforts will help end the predicaments that the Syrian people have been facing as well as eliminate the terrorist threat," the Iranian foreign minister stressed. "We will help create a better future for the people of Syria and the entire region."Comment
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Re: Regional geopolitics
Moscow, Ankara Downplay Envoy's Killing, Pledge Continued Cooperation
December 20, 2016
Robert Coalson
Aleksandr Gostev
Russian and Turkish officials have agreed in public that the motive of the assassin who killed Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov was to disrupt relations between the two countries.
Responding to the December 19 shooting at a photo exhibition in Ankara, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the killing was "obviously a provocation designed to derail the normalization of Russian-Turkish relations and to derail the peace process in Syria that is being actively promoted by Russia, Turkey, Iran, and other countries."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the same day also labeled the killing a "provocation aimed specifically at deteriorating the normalization process of the relationship between Turkey and Russia."
A December 20 meeting between the foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia, and Iran to discuss the conflict in Syria went ahead in Moscow as planned.
Experts quoted in the Russian media also sought to lay blame for the ambassador's killing on the West.
Writing on Facebook late on December 19, Kremlin-connected analyst Sergei Markov said that a contributing factor in the ambassador's assassination was "the atmosphere of hatred toward Russia that has been actively cultivated by Western politicians and mass media over the last three years."
He added that members of the European Parliament, who "have been lying about Russia for three years and are in a state of hysterical hatred," "bear a large share of responsibility for the act of terror against this Russian diplomat."
In another post, Markov said "one possibility" is that it was the action of "madmen in the Western special services." U.S. President Barack "Obama didn't give the order to shoot the Russian ambassador, but it is possible that officers of the CIA did so on their own initiative."
The nationalist Russkaya Vesna website quoted political scientist Aleksandr Sotnichenko as saying that "for the Islamists and their sponsors in the United States, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia it is categorically unacceptable to resolve the Syrian problem through a dialogue between the three main positive forces -- Russia, Turkey, and Iran."
Forgetting Aleppo
Video of the killing showed the gunman, identified as 22-year-old riot-police officer Mevlut Mert Altintas, yelling that his act was "payback for Aleppo," seeming to refer to Russia's support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in its recent assault to retake the Syrian city that has forced hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee.
Russian state media, however, either ignored or downplayed the gunman's statements. Russia's First Channel state television said merely that the killer yelled "Allahu Akbar," or "God is great."
The Russian government daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta reported that the gunman "loudly shouted something about Syria" before firing several shots. The daily Izvestia reported only that the gunman shouted "Aleppo."
Friends, Or Enemies?
Relations between Russia and Turkey were badly strained shortly after Moscow began its military intervention in Syria when Turkey shot down a Russian warplane along the Turkey-Syria border on November 24, 2015. One of the Russian pilots was killed in the incident, and another Russian serviceman died when a rescue helicopter came under fire from anti-Assad forces.
Political scientist Emil Suleimanov, who teaches at Charles University in Prague, tells RFE/RL's Russian Service that Russia's military activity in Syria has provoked widespread resentment in Turkey.
"The theme of Russia's intervention in Syria has united both the left and the right in Turkey," Suleimanov said. "The ultrarightists like the Gray Wolves, ultraleftists, radical Islamists -- they all oppose what Russia is doing in Syria and in the Middle East generally. It might not even be a group, but some individuals, just a few people, who decided to 'take revenge' on the Russian ambassador for Russia's actions in Aleppo."
Relations began to improve in June, after Erdogan sent Putin a letter expressing "deep regret" for the incident.
INFOGRAPHIC: Best Frenemies, A Year In Turkish-Russian Relations
Political scientist Leonid Isayev, who teaches at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, notes that the months of high tensions have left their mark on Turkish society.
"In Turkey, everything that was said about Russia during this time was the same as what was said in Russia about Turkey," Isayev tells RFE/RL. "Russia was depicted as a destructive force in the region and was blamed for inflaming conflicts, including instability within Turkey itself. It is obvious that in the mind of the average Turkish citizen who consumes the local media, a certain image of Russia as an enemy of the country has formed."
"We now see the results of these policies," he added. "In Russia, there is an enormous number of people who do not understand why suddenly relations between Turkey and Russia are better.... And the same can be said for Turkey -- many Turks simply don't understand why 'we have to be friends with our sworn enemy.'"
Given this complicated security situation, Komsomolskaya Pravda military correspondent Aleksandr Kots expressed bewilderment that Ambassador Karlov was apparently without a security detail and not wearing a bulletproof vest, a measure he said would have been "entirely logical."
Analyst Suleimanov says neither Moscow nor Ankara is interested in returning to the tense relations of the past, although the situation in Turkey -- in view of the conflict in Syria, the large number of refugees in the country, the conflict with Turkey's Kurdish minority, and the crackdown following an attempted coup against Erdogan in July -- makes it difficult to see the future.
"Events in Turkey are unfolding unpredictably," Suleimanov says. "On the Turkish chess board, there is an enormous number of extremely varied pieces."
Robert Coalson
Robert Coalson covers Russia, the Balkans, and Eastern Europe. Send story tips to [email protected]Comment
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Re: Regional geopolitics
U.S. Welcomes Moscow Agreement On Syria, But Remains Skeptical
The United States has welcomed an agreement by Russia, Iran, and Turkey to work toward drafting a peace deal in Syria but expressed some skepticism that it would come to pass.
"The United States welcomes any effort to try to get a cease-fire in Syria that can actually have meaningful results, particularly for those people that remain in Aleppo, as well as the resumption of political talks," State Department spokesman John Kirby said after Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with his Russian and Turkish counterparts about the agreement on December 20.
The foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, and Turkey said after meeting in Moscow that they would seek to widen the cease-fire in Syria and increase access to humanitarian aid and eventually would act as "guarantors" of any future peace deal.
Russia and Iran have backed the Syrian regime in the six-year civil war, while Turkey has backed rebel forces.
Kirby said that Kerry would like to get "political talks back on track as soon as possible," but believes it is "too soon to know" if the Moscow declaration will have any impact.
He said Kerry was skeptical of success, given his own experience with seeing the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad torpedo past attempts to impose a cease-fire and political settlement in the country.
"Given that the meeting just broke up today and given the fact that we have seen repeated promises to appropriately influence the Assad regime...fail, I think we really need to wait and ascertain the results over the coming days," Kirby said.
While the Moscow meeting did not include the United States, which has been a top player in past peace negotiations, U.S. officials sought to downplay any notion that Washington was being sidelined.
"We are not excluded, we are not being sidelined," Kirby said. "We would obviously refute any notion that...the fact that we weren't at this one meeting is somehow a harbinger or a litmus test for U.S. influence and leadership there or anywhere else around the world."
One of the tenets agreed to at the Moscow meeting, however, was anathema to the United States: to give priority in Syria to the fight against terrorism and not the removal of Assad, whom the United States and its allies have accused of war crimes.
Because of his brutal tactics, the United States and its allies in previous peace negotiations have insisted that Assad must step down as part of any political settlement. Russia, Iran, and Syria have rejected that precondition.
The deep divide over the fate of Assad has led several times to an impasse in the UN peace talks.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after the Moscow meeting that he hopes the "troika" talks will overcome the "stagnation" of the UN talks.
"The format you see today is the most efficient one," Lavrov said. "It's not an attempt to cast a shadow on the efforts taken by our other partners, it's just stating the facts."
He cited the recent evacuation of civilians and rebels from Aleppo, brokered by Moscow and Ankara, as proof of the efficiency of working with parties that are directly involved in the war and not merely bystanders.
"More than any others, our states are ready to help the settlement with real deeds and not just words," he said.
With reporting by AP and ReutersComment
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Re: Regional geopolitics
The terrorist attacks we have been seeing are very strange. The guy who killed the Russian ambassador slipped in as a member of security. The people/person who drove that truck through the market got away and they arrested somebody on the other side of town instead(he was released). Mind you that these attacks happened during a time when security is super tight as all of Europe is on hi alert and Turkey is going through the post coupe crackdown. The timing of it all should also be taken into consideration. The Turkish assassin struck as Turkey, Iran, and Russia were having a meeting about Syria. USA was not invited to this meeting. Germany is tired of the USA sponsored sanctions against Russia and wants them removed. I suspect USA has its dirty hands in both of these events. It has been exposed as a terrorist supporting destabilizer of nations and the world is recognizing this. It is retaliating for being exposed and its regional agenda overturned by other world powers. It is a good sign that the world is finely standing up to this bully/has been superpower. At least some of these terrorist attacks are basically the USA lashing out at the fact that its role in the world is diminishing.Hayastan or Bust.Comment
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