
Latest Articles about The Caucasus

Turkish Authorities Point to North Caucasian Role in Istanbul Terrorist Attack, but Details Remain Murky
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, on July 5, that the June 28 attack at Istanbul’s international airport was carried out by natives of Dagestan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan (Korrespondent.net, July 5). “Unfortunately, our neighbors from the North Caucasus were involved in the terrorist attack,” Erdoğan... MORE

Russia’s Karabakh Mediation Efforts Show Early Hints of Promise
Russia is working hard to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Karabakh, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told reporters in Yerevan, on July 4 (Trend, July 4). Her statement alluded to that day’s meeting held between Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Russian counterpart,... MORE

Alleged Chechen Mastermind of Istanbul Airport Attack Unpopular Within Chechen Diaspora
From the start of the conflict in Syria, access to the conflict zone has only been possible from the Turkish side. The militants’ dependence on Turkey forced them to avoid spoiling relations with the Turkish government. Even if Ankara did not help the militants in... MORE

Karachaevo-Cherkessia’s Governor Faces Tough Challenge in Upcoming Election Period
With Russia’s September 2016 parliamentary elections fast approaching, the political elites in the North Caucasus are becoming increasingly nervous. The country continues to be embroiled in an economic crisis, which is forcing a change in the relations between Moscow and regional governors, while the overall... MORE

Chechen Ruler Apparently Gains More Influence in Neighboring Dagestan
The Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta has blasted the country’s political parties for using well-known public figures who are unlikely to make good lawmakers as front men. The United Russia party, for example, has touted several actresses; the notorious prosecutor in annexed Crimea, Natalia Poklonskaya; and... MORE

Russian Observers Fail to Understand What Is Radicalizing North Caucasian Youth
For the past month, several events happened in Moscow related to the problem of radicalization of North Caucasian youth and the replenishment of the Islamic State’s ranks by residents of the Russian Federation. While Russian analysts recycle theories that were relevant a year or two... MORE

Alleged Mastermind of Istanbul Airport Bombing: Who is Akhmed Chataev?
A Note from Jamestown: As Turkish law enforcement officials work to determine who is responsible for this week’s Istanbul airport attack, international news media has focused their attention on one man, Akhmed Chataev. While Turkish media was first to finger Chataev as the one responsible... MORE

Yevkurov Tries to Paper Over Ingushetia’s Sufi-Salafist Rift
Tensions between two Russian regions, Chechnya and Ingushetia, tend to oscillate, with top officials of the two territories periodically quarreling with each other. Chechnya and Ingushetia are not simply neighbors, but ethnic cousins that speak practically the same language and share the same cultural heritage.... MORE

Businessmen in North Ossetia Politically Resurgent as Moscow’s Ability to Finance Republic Wanes
The financial crisis in the North Caucasus is gradually intensifying, as the large debt of its republics is exacerbated by falling revenues (see EDM, June 22, 2015). Paradoxically, the economic crunch first of all affects the region’s “quiet” republics. Moscow prioritizes financial support for those... MORE

Young North Caucasus Muslims Oppose Russia’s Air Strikes in Syria
A recent poll among North Caucasian youth by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) found that many young people in the region disapprove of the Russian air strikes in Syria. The finding is even more surprising because it comes at the time when Russian... MORE