russia-insider--2020-07-21--Turkey Supports Azerbaijan to Cause Instability in Russia's 'Soft Underbelly', the Caucasus

The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia has become increasingly serious .
Both countries claim the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and between the late 1980s and early 1990s there was a war between them to decide the control of the region .
Tens of thousands of people died in the conflict , which ended in 1994 with a ceasefire agreement , without a winner .
The agreement places the Nagorno-Karabakh region as a de facto autonomous republic , remaining de jure as part of Azerbaijan .
This agreement gave a break in the massacres but did not prevent the continuation of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until today claim the region , and the situation has worsened even more recently .
On July 12 , there was an armed clash in the region , with an uncertain number of victims .
Azerbaijani forces accuse Armenia of violating territorial limits .
In contrast , the Armenian government blames the opposing country for such violations .
Since then , according to Armenian observers , bombings on the border have been reported every 15 to 20 minutes .
Data on the dead or injured people remain uncertain .
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says that no violence will go unpunished , promising to react to every move by the enemy country .
Data from the Armenian Ministry of Defense points to records of artillery attacks against Armenian territory in the early hours of July 12 , when the fighting was recorded .
According to the Armenian government , Armenian troops only retaliated against the attacks received .
Pashinyan accuses not only Azerbaijan , but also Turkey of involvement in the attacks .
The charges are not unfounded .
Turkey has shown support for Azerbaijan in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peaceful resolution of the impasse .
The day after the clashes at the border , the Turkish foreign minister , Mevlut Cavusoglu , spoke in defense of Azerbaijan , saying that this country `` is not alone '' in the conflict .
The statement becomes controversial and dangerous amid an escalation of violence , as it connotes not only support from Ankara , but also an interest in intervening in the conflict .
Armenia reacted with severe criticism , blaming Ankara for the return of the violence .
According to the Armenian government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peace in the region to gain greater control and influence over neighboring territories .
In return , the European Union issued a public note calling on both parties to reduce violence and to avoid the use of force .
Likewise , the US State Department classified violence in the region as unacceptable and urged both parties to seek a peaceful solution to the dispute .
In the same vein , the Russian government has called on both countries for a peaceful resolution , without showing support for either party .
Foreign Minister Sergey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediate ceasefire and to comply with the terms of the Minsk Group , a committee created in 1992 to manage peace in the region .
Since both countries are former Soviet republics , the role of Russian diplomacy in managing the conflict is essential , due to the weight of its influence in the region .
It is important to note the difference in the approach of the Russians , Americans and Europeans to the Turkish stance to the crisis .
Demonstrating open support for any party in the current phase of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and encourage an increase in violence .
Being Turkey a military potency , the declared support in a conflict in its early stages may encourage the progress of hostilities .
In this sense , it is likely that Azerbaijan , with the support of Ankara and possible Turkish intervention , will continue the bombing , assuming strategic advantage and superiority over its opponent .
This is the great danger behind the Turkish pronouncement .
The situation , however , must be analyzed in a complete context .
Turkey has shown interest in increasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for this purpose , it has called for bold and provocative acts , such as , for example , its role in the Syrian War and the recent conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque , which provoked outcries all over the world for being an unnecessary attack on the memory of Greek Christianity , provoking the resurgence of religious tensions in the region that had not existed for a long time .
In fact , Erdogan has clear plans to constitute a neo-Ottoman geopolitical projection , regaining power and influence at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Ottoman Empire , predecessor of the modern Turkish state , operated in the past .
Relations between Turks and Armenians , in this sense , do not have a good record and are alive in Armenian memory with the ethnic-religious genocide perpetrated against Christian Armenians in the early 20th century .
In this sense , Turkish interest in creating an area of instability that favors its regional influence can be costly .
Russia , as the regional power with the greatest historical influence in the Caucasus , must counterbalance Turkish advances through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressured to avoid any intervention in the dispute between neighboring countries .

The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia has become increasingly serious. Both countries claim the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and between the late 1980s and early 1990s there was a war between them to decide the control of the region. Tens of thousands of people died in the conflict, which ended in 1994 with a ceasefire agreement, without a winner. The agreement places the Nagorno-Karabakh region as a de facto autonomous republic, remaining de jure as part of Azerbaijan. This agreement gave a break in the massacres but did not prevent the continuation of the territorial disputes between both countries, which until today claim the region, and the situation has worsened even more recently.
On July 12, there was an armed clash in the region, with an uncertain number of victims. Azerbaijani forces accuse Armenia of violating territorial limits. In contrast, the Armenian government blames the opposing country for such violations. Since then, according to Armenian observers, bombings on the border have been reported every 15 to 20 minutes. Data on the dead or injured people remain uncertain.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accuses Azerbaijan of initiating hostilities and says that no violence will go unpunished, promising to react to every move by the enemy country. Data from the Armenian Ministry of Defense points to records of artillery attacks against Armenian territory in the early hours of July 12, when the fighting was recorded. According to the Armenian government, Armenian troops only retaliated against the attacks received. Pashinyan accuses not only Azerbaijan, but also Turkey of involvement in the attacks.
The charges are not unfounded. Turkey has shown support for Azerbaijan in the dispute, encouraging annexation and not a peaceful resolution of the impasse. The day after the clashes at the border, the Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, spoke in defense of Azerbaijan, saying that this country "is not alone" in the conflict. The statement becomes controversial and dangerous amid an escalation of violence, as it connotes not only support from Ankara, but also an interest in intervening in the conflict. Armenia reacted with severe criticism, blaming Ankara for the return of the violence. According to the Armenian government, Turkey has an interest in destabilizing peace in the region to gain greater control and influence over neighboring territories.
In return, the European Union issued a public note calling on both parties to reduce violence and to avoid the use of force. Likewise, the US State Department classified violence in the region as unacceptable and urged both parties to seek a peaceful solution to the dispute. In the same vein, the Russian government has called on both countries for a peaceful resolution, without showing support for either party. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to an immediate ceasefire and to comply with the terms of the Minsk Group, a committee created in 1992 to manage peace in the region. Since both countries are former Soviet republics, the role of Russian diplomacy in managing the conflict is essential, due to the weight of its influence in the region.
It is important to note the difference in the approach of the Russians, Americans and Europeans to the Turkish stance to the crisis. Demonstrating open support for any party in the current phase of the conflict can be crucial to intensify disputes and encourage an increase in violence. Being Turkey a military potency, the declared support in a conflict in its early stages may encourage the progress of hostilities. In this sense, it is likely that Azerbaijan, with the support of Ankara and possible Turkish intervention, will continue the bombing, assuming strategic advantage and superiority over its opponent. This is the great danger behind the Turkish pronouncement.
The situation, however, must be analyzed in a complete context. Turkey has shown interest in increasing its regional and international geopolitical relevance and, for this purpose, it has called for bold and provocative acts, such as, for example, its role in the Syrian War and the recent conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque, which provoked outcries all over the world for being an unnecessary attack on the memory of Greek Christianity, provoking the resurgence of religious tensions in the region that had not existed for a long time.
In fact, Erdogan has clear plans to constitute a neo-Ottoman geopolitical projection, regaining power and influence at a regional level throughout the territory where the Ottoman Empire, predecessor of the modern Turkish state, operated in the past. Relations between Turks and Armenians, in this sense, do not have a good record and are alive in Armenian memory with the ethnic-religious genocide perpetrated against Christian Armenians in the early 20th century.
In this sense, Turkish interest in creating an area of instability that favors its regional influence can be costly. Russia, as the regional power with the greatest historical influence in the Caucasus, must counterbalance Turkish advances through diplomacy, while Erdogan must be internationally pressured to avoid any intervention in the dispute between neighboring countries.


russia-insider--2020-07-21--Spotify, World's Largest Music Streamer, Launches in Russia, 12 Other Eastern European Countries

Yesterday , Spotify launched in Russia as well as 12 other markets : Albania , Belarus , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Croatia , Kazakhstan , Kosovo , Moldova , Montenegro , North Macedonia , Serbia , Slovenia , and Ukraine .
Music lovers from these countries can enjoy Spotify ’ s 50 million tracks , 4 billion playlists , and localized music personalization features .
Russia is the 17th-biggest streaming market in the world and on pace to be the 10th-biggest streaming market by 2030 , Spotify stated , the International Federation of Phonographic Industry ( IFPI ) .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the region embrace streaming .
Russia in particular is one of the world ’ s top 20 largest streaming markets — and this launch opens the door for nearly 250 million fans to start discovering new music from their countries and around the world , ” the Swedish company stated .
“ It ’ s also a huge moment for artists [ from the 13 new countries ] who will be able to engage with more fans than ever in an increasingly connected world.
” Spotify says it is introducing 200 new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries , making them available to its global audience of 286 million listeners and 130 million paid subscribers .
Thus , Spotify claims to have curated almost 100 playlists across some of the most popular genres , and will have them regularly updated by its team of Russian music experts .
Among these playlists are ‘ Hot Hits Russia , ’ ‘ New Music Friday Russia , ’ ‘ This Is in Russian , ’ and ‘ Fully Fresh.
’ “ Starring ” playlists include ‘ This Is Face , ’ ‘ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Little Big , ’ ‘ This Is Nina Kraviz , ’ ‘ This Is Rauf & Faik , ’ ‘ This Is Noize MC , ’ ‘ This Is Макс Барских ’ , ‘ This Is Клава Кока , ’ ‘ This Is Тима Белорусских , ’ ‘ This Is Шарлот , ’ ‘ This Is СБПЧ , ’ and many more .
Additionally , genre playlists like ‘ Hip-Hop Cannon , ’ ‘ Pop Non-Stop , ’ ‘ Rock Today , ’ ‘ Solaris , ’ ‘ Indie Squad ’ will feature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Spotify registered a subsidiary in Russia back in 2014 , but postponed its launch in the country several times .
The main reason lied in uneasy negotiations with local artists and labels , according to music expert Boris Barabanov , cited by business daily Kommersant .
Spotify will measure itself against strong local players , including Boom ( a service of leading social network VK ) , Yandex.Music , MTS Music .
Foreign players active in Russia include Apple Music and Deezer .

Yesterday, Spotify launched in Russia as well as 12 other markets: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Ukraine. Music lovers from these countries can enjoy Spotify’s 50 million tracks, 4 billion playlists, and localized music personalization features.
Russia is the 17th-biggest streaming market in the world and on pace to be the 10th-biggest streaming market by 2030, Spotify stated, the International Federation of Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
“Our expansion in Europe comes as consumers in the region embrace streaming. Russia in particular is one of the world’s top 20 largest streaming markets — and this launch opens the door for nearly 250 million fans to start discovering new music from their countries and around the world,” the Swedish company stated.
“It’s also a huge moment for artists [from the 13 new countries] who will be able to engage with more fans than ever in an increasingly connected world.”
“Russia has an incredibly rich music culture (…) Our team on the ground is working closely with local musicians, labels and cultural tastemakers to offer a revolutionary and unrivalled fully Russian music experience,” — Gustav Gyllenhammar, Spotify VP, Markets and Subscriber Growth.
Spotify says it is introducing 200 new playlists featuring artists from across these 13 countries, making them available to its global audience of 286 million listeners and 130 million paid subscribers.
Thus, Spotify claims to have curated almost 100 playlists across some of the most popular genres, and will have them regularly updated by its team of Russian music experts.
Among these playlists are ‘Hot Hits Russia,’ ‘New Music Friday Russia,’ ‘This Is in Russian,’ and ‘Fully Fresh.’
“Starring” playlists include ‘This Is Face,’ ‘This Is GONE.Fludd,’ ‘This Is Little Big,’ ‘This Is Nina Kraviz,’ ‘This Is Rauf & Faik,’ ‘This Is Noize MC,’ ‘This Is Макс Барских’, ‘This Is Клава Кока,’ ‘This Is Тима Белорусских,’ ‘This Is Шарлот,’ ‘This Is СБПЧ,’ and many more.
Additionally, genre playlists like ‘Hip-Hop Cannon,’ ‘Pop Non-Stop,’ ‘Rock Today,’ ‘Solaris,’ ‘Indie Squad’ will feature local and global artists across many styles.
Spotify registered a subsidiary in Russia back in 2014, but postponed its launch in the country several times.
The main reason lied in uneasy negotiations with local artists and labels, according to music expert Boris Barabanov, cited by business daily Kommersant.
Spotify will measure itself against strong local players, including Boom (a service of leading social network VK), Yandex.Music, MTS Music. Foreign players active in Russia include Apple Music and Deezer.