News & comment 26 Nov 15

Russia retaliates for Turkish shootdown

In response to Turkey’s shootdown of a Russian jet a few days ago, Russia  has restricted food imports from Turkey. Russia may restrict energy exports to Turkey, but in an age of oil/gas surpluses the end result may be the loss of markets for Russian hydrocarbons. Israel, the US, and Egypt will soon be exporting gas, and importers might prefer them to Russia.

Russia may still opt for a military response. It is placing its S-300 air defense system in Syria.

Further clashes within Iraq iKurds

The Kurds are of course not a unified people. There are sharp divisions along political and tribal lines. Even inside Kurdistan (northern Iraq), there are divisions Shia Kurds have fought with Sunni Kurds in recent days. Now, Yazidi Kurds, a non-Muslim Kurdish people, have skirmished with peshmerga units under the KDP, which itself is at odds with the main Kurdish political movement (PUK). This does not augur well for Kurdish independence.