The blackmail policy of Moscow and Ankara
November 6, 2021, 12:16 pm

The blackmail policy of Moscow and Ankara

Zara saleh

Turkey's chronic 'phobia' towards the Kurds, and the historic failure to find a peaceful solution to the Kurdish question have deeply been affected the Turkish political culture and mentality. All the Turkish military have attacked into northern Syria and the occupation of Syrian territories were mainly related to the "strategic" fight against Kurds in north Syria. Furthermore, Erdogan's deal with Russian President Putin and the decision to purchase the S-400s was also related to the Turkish phobia towards the Syrian Kurds. Despite the fact that such a Turkey-Russian deal and coordination had negative consequences on Turkey's relations with the US, Erdogan continues his policies to blackmail NATO and the US over the Russian deal.

Arguably, the strange relations between Moscow and Ankara became a fact in the Syrian ground through the Astana-Sochi agreement including Iran as well. All these countries of Astana's deal are on different sides of the Syrian conflict but they have common temporary interests. In a recent meeting between Putin and Erdogan in Sochi, on September 29, the Russian President had raised his concerns regarding the situation in Idlib which is controlled by Al-Qaeda-backed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham as Turkey has not implemented the agreement to free Idlib province from the terrorist groups. Looking for a new deal that is similar to Afrin-Eastern Al-Ghouta in 2018, the Turkish President of Erdogan has failed to have Putin's green light to launch a new military operation against Syrian Democratic Forces in Tell Refaat and Manbij where both areas are under Russian control and military presence. Erdogan, as a result, returned back from Sochi with empty hands without reaching a trade deal regarding the areas of Tell Refaat and Manbij as Putin aimed to take control over most Syrian territories as a strategic plan to support the Syrian regime.

Russia on the other hand, is attempting to blackmail the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) over Erdogan's threats to launch another new military offensive against Kurds in northeast Syria. Such Russian policies are aiming to put more pressure on Kurds to return back to Assad's regime with Moscow's mediation and then to hand over that areas to the Syrian regime such as Tell Refaat and Ain Issa and Kobane. Consequently, if Russia with the Syrian regime has the possibility to reach a deal with Erdogan regarding that allow the regime to take control over the areas of the M4, M5 route, and other areas of Idlib, therefore, Putin might get Turkey a small green light for limited attacks on Kurdish-controlled areas that cannot make a significant change on the ground in Turkey's favour and the Syrian opposition militias groups.

However, Biden's administration is aware of Erdogan's steps and policies that, in fact, work on the opposite side of the US political interests and as a member of NATO. Such military offensive by Turkey in Kurdish-controlled areas that still lead by the American presence, consequently, will “undermine the campaign to defeat the Islamic State" according to the White House and it will affect the peace and stability in northeast Syria. As a result, the blackmail policy cannot be possible in the recent case in northeast Syria especially when the US and Russia might have agreed and coordinated their strategies within the Syrian conflict that definitely will shrink the role of Turkey and Iran as well.

by: Zara Saleh

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”