Regional geopolitics

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Society 12:05 23/01/2017 World
Armenian soldier killed in Aleppo neighborhood fighting
Syrian Armenian servicemen Jano Gorachyan, 20, was killed in a fierce fighting on the outskirts of Aleppo city. Arevelk Daily reports, Jano was serving in the Syrian Army along with his brother Remo.
x
The Syrian Sana Agency earlier reported that seven persons were killed, including a girl, in a terrorist attack with a rocket shell on Salah Eddien neighborhood in Aleppo.

A source at Aleppo Police Command told SANA reporter that terrorist organizations fired a rocket shell on Salah Eddien neighborhood in Aleppo, injuring 7 persons, including a girl, and causing material damage to public and private properties.

http://www.panorama.am/en/news/2017/01/23/Aleppo/1713537

[londontsi]

Re: Regional geopolitics

NATO is a terror organization, says AKP deputy Tayyar

http://www.tert.am/en/news/2017/01/23/NATO-AKP/2256594

A ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy has declared that NATO is a “terror organization,” saying the alliance has become a “structure threatening Turkey,” the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

In an interview with pro-government daily Milat, AKP Gaziantep deputy Şamil Tayyar claimed that NATO had “always been involved in activities targeting Turkey” since its establishment.

“Turkey has been subjected to coups since it joined NATO. NATO has always been in charge of the dirty and bloody deeds in the country. The 1960 military coup was staged by the British, the 1971 coup was staged by the CIA, and the 1980 coup was staged by NATO. In NATO’s new plan, a Turkey with [President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan should not exist,” Tayyar said.

“NATO has become a threat and is spreading terror organizations across the region. You can designate NATO along with DEASH [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant - ISIL], the PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] and FETÖ [Fethullahist Terror Organization],” he said.

Tayyar also suggested that Turkey may opt for shutting down the İncirlik Air Base, located in the southern province of Adana and used by NATO jets, “as a precaution.”

The AKP deputy said Ankara “could open a new page” with Washington under new President Donald Trump, but warned that Turkey could downgrade bilateral relations and withdraw from NATO if its demands from the new administration, including “the extradition of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen and halting support to terror organizations in Syria,” are not met.

“NATO exists as a product of the Cold War era. It is unnecessary for us to stay in NATO as it has turned into a structure threatening Turkey rather than protecting it,” he said.

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[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Turkey Building 'Great Wall' on Border With Syria (VIDEO)
© Photo: Youtube/Sputnik
Middle East
18:56 25.01.2017(updated 18:59 25.01.2017) Get short URL
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Turkey is building a concrete wall topped with barbed wire on the border with Syria to stop the passage of militants. A Sputnik reporter witnessed the construction of the wall and found out whether it will actually be capable of stopping the terrorists.
The construction ofxthe first section ofxthe wall inxthe town ofxKessab, west ofxIdlib province, Syria is now complete. Construction ofxthe wall has moved toxthe city ofxKamishli inxthe east. The height ofxthe wall is upxto 3 meters, not counting the barbed wire onxtop ofxit.

Since the beginning ofxthe Syrian crisis, Turkey's position towardsxits southern neighbor has changed dramatically. At first Turkey supported those who believed "Assad must go" and it was adamant toxcreate a buffer zone inxSyria.
Now things have changed and Turkey has acceded that the Syrian president should stay inxoffice, however, the wall must be constructed toxkeep the terrorists out.


© REUTERS/ Khalil Ashawi
'Important Partner': Turkey Takes Out Terrorists in Syria With Russia's Support
Turkey, inxits defense has declared that the wall will help guards toxmonitor the border and see who crosses it.

In Syria, however, the authorities are less thanxexcited aboutxthis wall considering that Turkey did not clarify the exact border demarcation withxSyria beforexbeginning construction. Could Turkey have sneakily acquired a little ofxthe Syrian land inxthe process? According toxsome reports, it has.
Also, fromxthe beginning ofxthe war inxSyria, the Syrian-Turkish border which has a range ofx822 km, saw a large amount ofxmilitants pouring intoxSyria fromxTurkey withxweapons, machine guns and radical ideas inxtow.

[lampron]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Turkey has proven to be resilient before, we will see how resilient it is now.

Just when everyone thought Ottoman Turkey was finished in 1918, it rose up again through Mustafa Kemal

Turkey very quickly recovered from the failed coup in 2016 and everything went back to normal. NATO will continue to support Erdogan, or whoever is in power in Turkey

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Just when everyone thought Ottoman Turkey was finished in 1918, it rose up again through Mustafa Kemal

Turkey very quickly recovered from the failed coup in 2016 and everything went back to normal. NATO will continue to support Erdogan, or whoever is in power in Turkey

I am not sure if I would call it normal. There are millions of people under arrest, suspicion, fired,...I think Turkey today is actually far from normal. Even their mighty Army is being beaten by a bunch of terrorists. I cannot say if they will recover or not but back to normal is not what I would describe there.

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

11:24 | January 26 2017
Why did majority of PACE delegates not supported Armenians?


The plenary winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) passed Volodymyr Ariyev’s report “AttackxonxJournalistsxand Free Speech in Media in Europe”, with 100 votes “pro” and 15 “cons”.x Aravot.am asked the Head of the Armenian delegation to PACE, Hermine Naghdalyan, that the report (paragraph 9) contained problematic wording for Armenia, especially “the territories which are under the control of separatist regime, particularly the Nagorno-Karabakh”, so whether it will not harm Armenia and why it was not possible to prevent such terms appear in the report.
Mrs. Naghdalyan explained that they were having discussions in different committees the day before until midnight, which ended up with two proposals: one signed by the Armenian delegation and the other by Europeans but to no avail.x At the same time, Mrs. Naghdalyan indicated that such wording is found in the PACE document back in 2005, in 14/16 resolution.x And then she told, When we were debating with them, we were saying that this provision gives nothing to them although it exists since 2005, hence, why you are including it again.x They replied in return, it is there anyway, so what is the difference, let it be in this report too.”

Mrs. Naghdalyan assures that the reality is that the Council of Europe and PACE have nothing to do with the conflicts, “Everybody has understood it after Walter’s report, the President of Cyprus is saying, the CoE Secretary-General is saying that PACE has nothing to do with the conflicts.”x Mrs. Naghdalyan interprets that since the Azerbaijani side has no success in the Minsk Group processes, hence it is trying to use this platform.
To our reversal that the Armenian side is not capable to, for example, to pass anti-Azerbaijani resolutions or at least to prevent the anti-Armenian resolutions, Mrs. Naghdalyan responded, “We do not have such a task.x The direction of our work is that we must push our country’s democracy and human rights protection mechanisms ahead which is also the goal of this organization, we must push these values forward.”x As an evidence, of her words, Hermine Naghdalyan said that the mentioned report which refers to freedom of media does not contain any reproach against Armenia, “The only sentence related to us is this problem which by some order and interest was entered without any connection with the report.”
To our observation whether Azerbaijan has bribed the author of the report, Ukrainian delegate Volodymyr Ariyev, Mrs. Naghdalyan replied that it is not only the bribery this time.x “Earlier, when the issue referred only to Karabakh-Azerbaijan, a number of delegates supported us but this time, other conflicts are included, therefore, those many who supported us in the past were unable to do it now.”

http://en.aravot.am/2017/01/26/188438/

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Rep. Gabbard calls on US govt to stop ‘supporting terrorists’ after meeting Syria civilians & Assad
Published time: 26 Jan, 2017 06:03xEdited time: 26 Jan, 2017 09:57

https://on.rt.com/81fq

U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI). ©xScott Audette / Reuters


Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has called on the US to put an end to the “illegal war” she believes it wages in Syria after visiting Damascus and Aleppo. During her trip, she spoke with civilians, religious leaders, opposition leaders, and President Assad.
Gabbard described her privately-funded seven-day trip to Lebanon and Syria as a “fact-finding mission” to learn the truth about the war by speaking directly to the Syrian people. The itinerary was kept secret until Gabbard’s return to the US for security reasons.

Establishment outraged as Rep. Tulsi Gabbard goes to Syria on fact-finding mission
Gabbard travelledxto Beirut, and then to Damascus and Aleppo, where she spoke with Syrian students, entrepreneurs, academics, and aid workers. She also received firsthand accounts of the conflict from refugees displaced by the war.

She met with a number of religious leaders, including The Grand Mufti of Syria Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun and Archbishop Denys Antoine Chahda, who heads the Syrian Catholic Church of Aleppo.
Gabbard also met with several leaders of the Syrian opposition who spearheaded anti-government protests in 2011. She says some of them believe that the originally peaceful uprising was hijacked by jihadists “funded and supported by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, the United States.”
Contrary to the official US narrative that terrorist groups such as Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS, ISIL) and Al-Nusra Front could be “separated” from the moderate opposition which fights by their side, Gabbard said that the Syrian people she talked with do not distinguish between the various militant groups.
“Their message xto the American people was powerful and consistent: There is no difference between ‘moderate’ rebels and al-Qaeda (al-Nusra) or ISIS — they are all the same,” Gabbard said, describing the essence of the Syrian conflict as “a war between terrorists under the command of groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda and the Syrian government.”

Gabbard confessed she lacked any plausible explanations to offer the Syrian people about the role of the US in the lingering conflict, as she was asked questions like: “Why is the United States and its allies helping al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups try to take over Syria? Syria did not attack the United States. Al-Qaeda did.”
The Syrian people caught in this war “cry out for the U.S. and other countries to stop supporting those who are destroying Syria and her people,” Gabbard wrotexin a blog post, adding that it is the message they asked her to convey to the world, as it has been constantly muted by “one-sided biased reports pushing a narrative that supports this regime change war at the expense of Syrian lives.”

Western ‘messiahship’ bred Ukrainian crisis, Arab Spring, & refugee flood – Lavrov
The Congresswoman revealed upon her return that she had also met with Syrian President Bashar Assad, noting that she was not originally planning to meet him, but could not pass up the opportunity in hopes of making a difference. She did not elaborate on the details of the meeting.
“If we profess to truly care about the Syrian people, about their suffering, then we’ve got to be able to meet with anyone that we need to if there is a possibility that we can achieve peace,” Gabbard told CNN’s Jake Tapper.
Brushing off criticism over the perceived ethical issues that might arise from the meeting, Gabbard said that dialogue is an indispensable prerequisite on the road to any peaceful settlement.
“Whatever you think about President Assad, the fact is that he is the president of Syria,” Gabbard said, stressing that “in order for any possibility of a viable peace agreement to occur there has to be a conversation with him.”
An Iraq War veteran and member of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, Gabbard is known for her sharp criticism of former US President Barack Obama’s interventionist policy in the Middle East.
Her Syria trip became a talking point within the US establishment immediately after it was announced, with some pundits alleging she intends to cozy up to the Syrian government.
In December, Gabbard introduced the Stop Arming Terrorists Act, designed to prevent the US government from providing direct assistance to terrorist groups and to “prohibit the Federal government from funding assistance to countries that are directly or indirectly supporting those terrorist groups.

“We must stop directly and indirectly supporting terrorists—directly by providing weapons, training and logistical support to rebel groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIS; and indirectly through Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, and Turkey, who, in turn, support these terrorist groups”, Gabbard wrote.
Gabbard believes Washington should shift its approach from attempting to overthrow the Syrian government to actually combating terrorist groups. She says the US has been repeating the same foreign policy pattern “from Iraq to Libya and now in Syria,” with its pursuit of regime change which, she argues, has only brought about “unimaginable suffering, devastating loss of life” and contributed to “the strengthening of groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS.”
“I return to Washington, DC with even greater resolve to end our illegal war to overthrow the Syrian government,” Gabbard wrote in her blog post.

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Russia and Turkey smash Islamic State terrorists during joint operation in Syria
By News Desk - 26/01/2017


The Russian Aerospace Force and the Turkish Air Force on Thursday held a joint operation against units of the Islamic State terrorist grouping near the township of Al-Bab, Syria's Aleppo Governorate, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"On January 26, 2017, the Russian Aerospace Force and the Turkish Air Forces conducted one more air operation to incapacitate the Islamic State grouping in the area of Al-Bab, Aleppo Governorate," a spokesperson for the ministry said.

"The operations was authorized by the Syrian government," he said. "Russia committed Sukhoi-24M frontline bombers and Sukhoi-35S fighter jets, while Turkey committed F-16 and F-16 multirole fighters."

The strikes destroyed three command points and communications centers, as well as several fortified strongpoints of the militants.

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Russia: Moscow never proposed Kurdish autonomy in Syrian constitution draft
By Ibrahim Joudeh - 27/01/2017

Russia did not offer to enshrine Kurdish autonomy in the new draft Syrian сonstitution, which was presented at the Astana talks, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, told a press briefing on Friday.

"We have identified an array of issues to be addressed by the participants in the discussion on the Syrian сonstitution one way or another," she explained. "Tackling the issues related to the format, the way the Syrian state will be organized, the way it will exist and develop is not Russia’s objective. This task belongs to the Syrians themselves, various representatives, opposition groups, the official authorities and so on."

"No one is going to offer this, not in any persistent manner whatsoever, since that is just pointless," Zakharova said. "We are well aware that forming, developing, and drafting a new сonstitution is a purely voluntary process, because this is a document that requires a broad consensus of Syrian society, which, of course, is divided now. We fully realize this."

According to Zakharova, it is important to make sure that Syria’s new сonstitution "does not become an even greater bone of contention." "We are not offering any forms of organization for the Syrian state. We raise issues that require discussion with the Syrians," she added. "The time has come to put the draft сonstitution into the hands of the opposing sides instead of assault rifles."

Concerning the participation of the Syrian Kurds in the negotiation process, Zakharova noted that Russia’s stance on the issue is well known. "We proceed from the assumption that that they must join the process.".
TASS

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Theresa May 'to discuss trade' with President Erdogan on Turkey visit
BBC

Theresa May is set to discuss a post-Brexit trade deal with Turkey during weekend talks in the country with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The prime minister arrives in Ankara early on Saturday from the US, where she met President Trump.

A new trading relationship with Turkey following the UK's exit from the European Union would form part of discussions, Number 10 said.

The PM is also expected to discuss security, Mrs May's spokeswoman said.

The spokeswoman added: "They will be discussing a new trade relationship [and] a strategic security partnership."
It comes as Brexit Secretary David Davis predicted a "round of global trade deals" would be "fully negotiated" within 12 to 24 months, coming into force when the UK leaves the EU.
The government plans to begin the formal two-year Brexit process by triggering Article 50 by the end of March.

Human rights concerns
Mrs May's first prime ministerial visit to Turkey comes as President Erdogan is clamping down on opponents following the failed military coup in July 2016.
Asked whether Mrs May would raise human rights concerns since the coup, the spokeswoman said Britain had "expressed our strong support for Turkey's democracy and institutions following the coup."

In further unrest, 39 people were killed in an attack on a New Year's Eve party in a nightclub in Istanbul.
So-called Islamic State said it was behind the attack and the militant group was linked to at least two other attacks in Turkey last year.