Orientul Mijlociu

Tension with Azerbaijan dies down but underlying differences are likely to widen.

Events that might not matter elsewhere in the world matter quite a lot in the South Caucasus. Given a recent history of conflict, with all the bad feelings that generates, plus outside powers playing geostrategic games, and its growing importance as an energy corridor between Europe and Central Asia, the region is vulnerable.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a monumental vision for his country’s largest city: building a new mega canal through Istanbul. Of course, Istanbul is already home to the Bosporus Strait, whose bisection of Europe and Asia has been fought over in numerous wars throughout history and inspired numerous cliches. Nevertheless, Erdogan’s plans raise the prospect that the geostrategic map of the Black Sea may soon be recast.

Tens of Kurdish residents of disputed Kirkuk were arrested and later released after celebrating the victory of Kurdish parties in the election.

The heads of the Kurdistan Region and federal governments in Iraq attempted on Wednesday to defuse election tensions in the disputed city of Kirkuk.

Shortly after the beginning of the “Syrian Revolution” in March 2011, hundreds of rebel factions, including some local factions, some were backed by foreign countries and some others were based on religious ideology, were formed throughout Syria. After these factions had controlled eastern Ghouta, eastern Qalmoun and Rif Dimashq and the number of their fighters, including fighter from east Homs countryside and Deir Ezzor, had increased in these areas, Colonel “Bakur al-Salim” formed “Quwat al-Sitin” faction (the Sixtieth Forces) with its headquarter being in al-Hammad region near the Syria-Jordan border, near al-Hadalat area.

Russia’s self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery Pantsir-S1 systems have shot down a Turkish Bayraktar-TB2 attack UAV over Iraqi airspace, the pro-PKK news agency ANF News reported.

According to ANF News reporters, the Russian system attacked the Turkish drone in northern Iraq. There is a discrepancy in the time it is alleged that the Turkish drone was shot down. Reporters from the news agency claim that this happened only a few days ago, while other field sources say that the video is at least from May this year.

Shaam news network monitored the death of four officers of the Assad regime, including a brigadier general and three others with the rank of first lieutenant. The deaths happened in varying circumstances, between a traffic accident in Damascus, a heart attack in Lattakia, and direct targeting in Badia and Idleb.

A car bombing in the northern Syrian city of Afrin on Monday killed six people, including at least one Turkey-backed rebel fighter, a war monitor said.

An AFP video journalist saw civil defence members douse the charred remains of a car with water, as rescue workers carried away what appeared to be a victim’s remains under a blanket on a stretcher.