Are there attempts to eliminate the "Azerbaijani dynasty" in Dagestan?

 

Are there attempts to eliminate the "Azerbaijani dynasty" in Dagestan? PlanFox.ru According to a statement made by the head of Dagestan, Ramazan Abdulatipov Kurban Kurbanov, the head of the Derbent region will soon be dismissed. "This week we will also replace the head of the Derbent region... Some people have become used to being bosses forever," local media quotes Abdulatipov as saying. It would seem like nothing unusual, just another replacement of a head of a Dagestani region. During the year and a half of Abdulatipov's rule, heads of one third of Dagestani regions have been replaced. Despite this fact, the current case is considered special. The Derbent region is one of the most populated and important areas, situated next to the Russian border in the Caucasus. It is distinguished by a complex internal organization and potential conflicts. Although the area does not directly border Azerbaijan, it is, together with the ancient city of Derbent, located in the area with the ​​greatest economic activity with the Dagestani borderland. The main transport routes connecting Russia with Azerbaijan lie through this region. In addition, the district has the largest population compared to southern regions of Dagestan, amounting to 101,000 inhabitants (in 2013). The Derbent region has been headed by representatives of the Kurbanov family since Soviet times. The current leader of the region, Kurban Kurbanov, is also part of this clan. The family has Azerbaijani origins. More precisely, they belong to the Sunni group of Azeris who live in southern Dagestan. the old part of Derbent as well as Azerbaijan are mostly populated by Shiites. The rural Sunni group of Azeris living in Dagestan is often considered a subethnos which is independent from the rest of Azerbaijan. Nevertheless, the Kurbanov family has managed to remain in power in Derbent for a long time and play an important role in relations between Baku and Dagestan. The father of the current head of the region was Seid Kurbanov, who was the First Secretary of the Derbent District Party Committee in Soviet times. For 90 years he headed the district administration. It should be noted that the office of the head of the Derbent region has been recognized as one of the most important posts in Dagestan informally reserved for Azerbaijanis. Until 2006, Seid Kurbanov had the "Azerbaijani" seat in Dagestan's State Council - a body consisting of representatives of all the peoples in the republic. The brother of the current head of the district was the head of the Mission of Dagestan in Azerbaijan until 2013. The authority of the Kurbanov family in the Derbent region has been considered unquestionable for quite a long time.However, very soon the whole situation might change. Let us investigate the possible consequences.Firstly, competition in relation to projects in southern Dagestan in which the Azerbaijani side is involved might escalate competition. Currently, the increase of the Azerbaijani "presence" in southern Dagestan is associated primarily with the celebration of the anniversary of Derbent. Already a great number of representatives of the financial community of Azerbaijan have expressed their desire to participate in organizing it. Now that the Kurbanov family will no longer have influence in Derbent, a new configuration related to the celebration of the event will be established. The second risk is related to land issues - no matter who is appointed by Abdulatipov as the head of the Derbent region, he will have to solve land-related conflicts. The territory of the Derbent region is subject to active migration of people from nearby mountain villages, especially from those where the population has been growing considerably in recent years (for example, from the Tabasaran district). People from the mountains come to neighboring towns such as Derbent and Dagestanskie Ogni. These cities, given the small proportion of apartment buildings, are not that accommodating and many people from mountains, having earned some money, begin to build their own houses in the area. The inflow of migrants makes prices for land higher. Thus, today the cost of four acres is over half a million rubles. It is no secret that a common problem for Dagestan is the illegal purchase of land, which leads to many court cases. Not only land used for construction but also land used to grow grapes is in the center of land conflicts. If the authorities change in the region, the tangle of contradictions and potential conflicts will become even more complex. The third consequence related to the change of power might be the aggravation of interethnic conflicts. Activities undertaken by the Kurbanov family, the "Baku friends", were not welcomed by certain Lezghins of Dagestan who criticized the Azerbaijani authorities for their actions regarding Lezghins in northern Azerbaijan. It might be true that the number of these people, as well as of the majority of North Caucasian ethnic activists, is clearly overestimated and their presence in the media is much larger than in reality. However, changes in power circles in Dagestan always result in a new ethnic balance in the distribution of the most important posts in Dagestan. Currently the balance is clear: the head of Derbent is a Lezghin, the head of the Derbent region is Azeri while the head of Derbentskie Ogni is from the Tabasaran people. One should also consider migrants from the mountains. Thus, the new head of the Derbent region will have to face the complex task of taking into account the interests of all the various ethnic communities in the area.To summarize, the change in power circles announced by the head of Dagestan can become a much more complex affair than the simple replacement of a local head.Thish is clear from the geopolitical role of the Derbent region and the internal problems of the area. Whether the central authorities choose a new local head from important local figures or from the capital will indicate the new approach of the Makhachkala administration.

 

PlanFox.ru 
According to a statement made by the head of Dagestan, Ramazan Abdulatipov Kurban Kurbanov, the head of the Derbent region will soon be dismissed. "This week we will also replace the head of the Derbent region... Some people have become used to being bosses forever," local media quotes Abdulatipov as saying. It would seem like nothing unusual, just another replacement of a head of a Dagestani region. During the year and a half of Abdulatipov's rule, heads of one third of Dagestani regions have been replaced. Despite this fact, the current case is considered special. The Derbent region is one of the most populated and important areas, situated next to the Russian border in the Caucasus. It is distinguished by a complex internal organization and potential conflicts. Although the area does not directly border Azerbaijan, it is, together with the ancient city of Derbent, located in the area with the ​​greatest economic activity with the Dagestani borderland. The main transport routes connecting Russia with Azerbaijan lie through this region. In addition, the district has the largest population compared to southern regions of Dagestan, amounting to 101,000 inhabitants (in 2013). 

The Derbent region has been headed by representatives of the Kurbanov family since Soviet times. The current leader of the region, Kurban Kurbanov, is also part of this clan. The family has Azerbaijani origins. More precisely, they belong to the Sunni group of Azeris who live in southern Dagestan. the old part of Derbent as well as Azerbaijan are mostly populated by Shiites. The rural Sunni group of Azeris living in Dagestan is often considered a subethnos which is independent from the rest of Azerbaijan. 
Nevertheless, the Kurbanov family has managed to remain in power in Derbent for a long time and play an important role in relations between Baku and Dagestan. The father of the current head of the region was Seid Kurbanov, who was the First Secretary of the Derbent District Party Committee in Soviet times. For 90 years he headed the district administration. It should be noted that the office of the head of the Derbent region has been recognized as one of the most important posts in Dagestan informally reserved for Azerbaijanis. Until 2006, Seid Kurbanov had the "Azerbaijani" seat in Dagestan's State Council - a body consisting of representatives of all the peoples in the republic. The brother of the current head of the district was the head of the Mission of Dagestan in Azerbaijan until 2013. The authority of the Kurbanov family in the Derbent region has been considered unquestionable for quite a long time.
However, very soon the whole situation might change. Let us investigate the possible consequences.Firstly, competition in relation to projects in southern Dagestan in which the Azerbaijani side is involved might escalate competition. Currently, the increase of the Azerbaijani "presence" in southern Dagestan is associated primarily with the celebration of the anniversary of Derbent. Already a great number of representatives of the financial community of Azerbaijan have expressed their desire to participate in organizing it. Now that the Kurbanov family will no longer have influence in Derbent, a new configuration related to the celebration of the event will be established. The second risk is related to land issues - no matter who is appointed by Abdulatipov as the head of the Derbent region, he will have to solve land-related conflicts. The territory of the Derbent region is subject to active migration of people from nearby mountain villages, especially from those where the population has been growing considerably in recent years (for example, from the Tabasaran district). People from the mountains come to neighboring towns such as Derbent and Dagestanskie Ogni. These cities, given the small proportion of apartment buildings, are not that accommodating and many people from mountains, having earned some money, begin to build their own houses in the area. The inflow of migrants makes prices for land higher. Thus, today the cost of four acres is over half a million rubles. It is no secret that a common problem for Dagestan is the illegal purchase of land, which leads to many court cases. Not only land used for construction but also land used to grow grapes is in the center of land conflicts. If the authorities change in the region, the tangle of contradictions and potential conflicts will become even more complex. 
The third consequence related to the change of power might be the aggravation of interethnic conflicts. Activities undertaken by the Kurbanov family, the "Baku friends", were not welcomed by certain Lezghins of Dagestan who criticized the Azerbaijani authorities for their actions regarding Lezghins in northern Azerbaijan. It might be true that the number of these people, as well as of the majority of North Caucasian ethnic activists, is clearly overestimated and their presence in the media is much larger than in reality. However, changes in power circles in Dagestan always result in a new ethnic balance in the distribution of the most important posts in Dagestan. Currently the balance is clear: the head of Derbent is a Lezghin, the head of the Derbent region is Azeri while the head of Derbentskie Ogni is from the Tabasaran people. One should also consider migrants from the mountains. Thus, the new head of the Derbent region will have to face the complex task of taking into account the interests of all the various ethnic communities in the area.To summarize, the change in power circles announced by the head of Dagestan can become a much more complex affair than the simple replacement of a local head.Thish is clear from the geopolitical role of the Derbent region and the internal problems of the area. Whether the central authorities choose a new local head from important local figures or from the capital will indicate the new approach of the Makhachkala administration.