• Regional and Energy Security
• Informational security

24.11.2015 TURKEY CONTINUES TO MUZZLE DEMOCRACY’S WATCHDOGS
By Noam Chomsky and Christophe Deloire
Journalists are the “watchdogs” of democracy, according to the European Court of Human Rights. Anyone who wants to control a country without being troubled by criticism tries to muzzle reporters, and unfortunately, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a past master at stifling the cries of freedom. As journalists from around the world converge on Antalya to cover this weekend’s Group of 20 summit, many of their Turkish colleagues are being denied accreditation.

29.10.2015 RUSSIAN EXPERT PROPOSES FORMULA TO EASE FRONTLINE TENSION
In an interview with Tert.am, Vladimir Yevseyev, Head of the Caucasus Department at the Moscow-based CIS Institute, expressed his strong concerns over Azerbaijan’s recent heavy armed raids against Armenian civilians in the border region Tavush, calling for mutual efforts to push back armaments from the frontline. The expert said he thinks that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s recent trip to Azerbaijan and his talks with President Ilham Aliyev was part of such efforts.

01.09.2015 AN INSANE AMBITION WHICH IS TURNING INTO A CIVIL WAR
Clinton, Juppé, Erdoğan, Daesh and the PKK
by Thierry Meyssan
The resumption of the repression of Kurds in Turkey is nothing more than a consequence of the impossible task of implementing the Juppé-Wright plan of 2011. While it was easy to deploy Daesh in the Syrian desert and the provinces of Niniveh and d’al-Anbar (Iraq), which are mostly Sunnite, it proved to be impossible to take control of the Kurdish populations of Syria. In order to realise his dream of a Kurdistan outside of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has no other choice but civil war.

20.07.2015 DIFFICULT TALKS ON IRAN’S NUCLEAR ISSUE
Vladimir Evseev
Nuclear talks in Vienna have been extended amid disagreements over the lifting of an arms embargo on Iran, but western diplomats remained hopeful that an agreement could be reached relatively soon.

06.07.2015 IRAN: AN ATTEMPT TO BYPASS THE SANCTIONS
Sergey Sargsyan
In negotiations around Iran’s nuclear program that last over 10 years now, even preliminary concluded agreements made it possible to somewhat ease the sanctions against the country imposed by the USA, EU and UN. However, there is no mention about lifting those altogether. Even the partial relief is under a big question.

26.06.2015 NEARING THE END OF THE ERDOĞAN SYSTEM
by Thierry Meyssan
In December 2014, Thierry Meyssan announced the fall of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, while almost all other international commentators still persisted in believing that he would win the legislative elections. Mr. Meyssan returns here to examine the career of the Turkish President.

29.04.2015 INSIGHTS INTO TURKISH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
By John VanPool
Key Points:
- Prime Minister Erdogan claims Iran is attempting to divide and conquer the Middle East, but tempers his criticisms following a visit to Tehran...

09.02.2015 IRAN AND SOUTH CAUCASUS: THE IMPLICATIONS OF “FREEZING”
Sevak Sarukhanyan
Although Iran and the six powers were unable to reach an agreement on the nuclear issue in 2014, the negotiations will continue in 2015 and there is a theoretical chance that if not full, then at least some partial settlement will be reached in the relations between Tehran and Washington. The article presents the potential corollaries that such arrangement may bring for South Caucasus.

19.01.2015 HOW OLD IS THE AZERBAIJANI NATION: ONCE AGAIN ABOUT THE IDENTITY OF ABSHERON MUSLIMS
Haykaram Nahapetyan
Modern Azerbaijan, akin to “caviar diplomacy” also develops “caviar science” not only in Azerbaijan, but also by ordering “research” in foreign countries that present the current territory of Azerbaijan, as well as Artsakh, Zangezur and Yerevan as millennia-old Azeri homeland. Baku post factum declares the Christian monuments on these territories or other Armenian settlements as Caucasian Albanian. Even if those were Albanian, Azerbaijan has no priority over Armenia to claim heritage of the historically Christian territories of Caucasian Albania.

30.10.2014 FOR ANKARA, IS MASSACRE A POLICY OPTION?
by Thierry Meyssan
Is the new alliance between Turkey and France concerned only with economic issues, to wit entry into the European Union, or is it purely political? In this case, must Paris provide cover for Ankara whatever the policy? Does this support go as far as genocide?

29.09.2014 INSIGHTS INTO TURKISH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL POLITICS DURING AUG. 16TH - SEPT. 15TH 2014
By John VanPool
Key Points:
- New Prime Minister Ahmet Davuglotu announces his cabinet with few surprises, save the re-appointment of economic policy heads Ali Babacan and Mehmet Simsek. The cabinet will continue to carry out its predecessor’s policies, though Turkey’s de facto leader remains President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

29.07.2014 INSIGHTS INTO TURKISH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL POLITICS BETWEEN 16 MAY – 16 JULY 2014
By John VanPool
Iraq implodes as the Islamic State (IS, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or alternatively the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) allies with Iraqi Sunnis to overtake large swaths of the country’s northwest, including the city of Mosul. Turkish hostages are taken in the city, and the Kurdish Regional Government of Iraq halts IS’s march towards oil-rich Kirkuk.

26.05.2014 NEW TRANSPORT PROJECTS IN THE REGION
Sevak Sarukhanyan
Recently there has been a surge in work on international transport projects. This concerns also the South Caucasus and Caspian region, where several projects are close to completion. Unfortunately, these projects may to a certain extent negatively affect the regional interests of the Republic of Armenia.

30.04.2014 ROSNEFT: A NEW BUSINESS PROJECT IN ARMENIA
Mikhail Aghajanyan
A new large business project brews in Russian-Armenian relations. Rosneft corporation is just one step away from entering the Armenian market. The agenda of negotiations between business entities of the strategic partner-countries in South Caucasus includes two main issues.

18.03.2014 GAS TRANSIT PIPELINE IRAN-ARMENIA: A CHANGE OF DISCOURSE
Sevak Sarukhanyan
The political crisis in Ukraine prompted stormy debates in the political analyst circles of Armenia regarding the causes of the crises and resultant potential changes in the world. Unfortunately there is little meaningful analysis for Armenia in terms of the ramifications of a new standoff round between Russia and the West, although such ramifications could be quite palpable.