The Levant Files

Relations between Russia and Azerbaijan have spectacularly imploded, spiraling from a tragic plane crash into a full-blown diplomatic crisis. The past week has seen a volley of tit-for-tat actions, including the arrest of Russian journalists in Baku, the cancellation of high-level government meetings, and the publication of state-media articles comparing Vladimir Putin’s Russia to Nazi Germany, pushing the two nominal partners to the brink of open hostility. The rapid deterioration is detailed in a comprehensive analysis by the Armenian news outlet Zham.am , traces the conflict’s roots to late 2024. The catalyst was the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet over Russia. While Moscow claimed the incident occurred during a Ukrainian drone attack and President Putin personally apologized, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev demanded a full admission of guilt, compensation, and the punishment of those responsible—demands the Kremlin did not satisfy. Following the incident, Baku be...

Azerbaijani media has launched a scathing attack on Iran's Ambassador to Armenia, Mehdi Sobhani, accusing him of diplomatic sabotage following recent remarks he made in Yerevan. The criticism centers on Sobhani's suggestion that Azerbaijani territory may have been used for drone attacks against Iran during the recent "12-day war" with Israel. The ambassador's comments, made shortly after a phone call between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the new Iranian President, have been labeled a destructive attempt to undermine bilateral relations. In an article titled " Diplomat or saboteur? What is the Iranian ambassador doing in Yerevan? " the outlet AzeMedia condemned Sobhani's statements to Armenian journalists. The article cites the ambassador's hardened tone, quoting him as saying, "We are ready to die, but we will not tolerate those who speak to us in the language of threats and force." Sobhani then directly implicated neighboring ...

Turkish authorities have launched a full-scale investigation into the prominent satirical magazine LeMan, resulting in the arrest of four staff members and a raid on its Istanbul office by furious protestors. The controversy erupted over a cartoon that critics claim depicted the Prophet Muhammad, sparking official condemnation and street-level violence in a potent clash over free speech and religious sanctities. The legal and public backlash was swift after the cartoon gained traction on social media. Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced that the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office had initiated an investigation against the magazine for "publicly denigrating religious values" under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code. As outrage spread online, groups gathered outside LeMan's office in the busy Beyoğlu district, with some forcibly entering the building and smashing windows. According to a report by T24, four individuals from the magazine were taken into custo...

A sweeping anti-corruption operation unfolded in the Aegean metropolis of Izmir on Tuesday, resulting in the detention of former Mayor Tunç Soyer and dozens of other high-profile figures from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). The early morning raids, part of a major investigation into alleged corruption and irregularities, have sent shockwaves through the country's political landscape, with the CHP decrying the move as a politically motivated crackdown. The operation, led by the Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, involved arrest warrants for 157 individuals. According to a report from the Turkish news outlet T24, those taken into custody include former Mayor Tunç Soyer, current CHP Izmir Provincial Chairman Şenol Aslanoğlu, and numerous senior bureaucrats who served during Soyer's administration. The probe was launched by the prosecutor's Terrorism and Organized Crime Bureaus based on claims of corruption involving the municipal company İZBET...