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Turkey and Iran. Interventions in the region with historical peccadilloes.

Libya's military spokesman, Ahmad al-Mesmari accused Turkey of interfering in Libyan internal affairs, that made the Arab League Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, to warn of Turkey's continuous involvement during his speech at the Tunis summit 2019.
The Libyan charges show considerable evidence such as arms trafficking to the Tripoli militias by Turkish ships, also the drones which were shot down are Turkish made. Adding to that evidence, a local Libyan newspaper discovered the identities of the Turkish military experts' team, including a senior general, and all work in the capital of Tripoli for the government of Fayez Sarraj.
Iran and Turkey. Historical Conflicts.
The results of the so-called "Arab spring" allowed the Iranians and Turks to expand and seek influence in the Arab countries. The desire of Tehran and Ankara was not the result of the imbalances in 2011 but was a part of their aim in the exploitation of the chances.
Iran is starting from the concept of exporting the revolution, which brought Khomeini to the presidency after the overthrow of the Shah in 1979, but the Turks did not have a desire to expand until the reach of Recep Tayyip Erdogan to political power in 2002.
Iran fought the eight-year war with Iraq following a border dispute. The war had revealed Iran's desire to expand to the Arab countries by restoring the fake glory of the Persian Empire. The Iranians did not hide those desires by declaring their control of four Arab capitals.
Turkey, which entered a border dispute with Syria on Iskenderun, after 1991 surpassed the Iraqi borders invoking the pursuit of the Kurds. When the AKP came to power, Turkey began to show its desire for expansion and influence in its Arab neighbourhood by restoring the dreams of the Ottoman Empire.
Turks and Iranians meet in their ambitions and interests and even their projects, although the two parties are working to destroy the Arab national identity in order to control it through local agencies pro-Iranian and Turkish projects.
Ankara and Tehran Agreement.
Although the Turkish and Iranian projects differ in the political and strategic plans, their mutual desire is to share the influence in the Arab region.
In Syria, despite the fundamental differences in their declared policies, Turkey adopts the goal of overthrowing the Syrian regime and supporting the opposition with weapons and providing training camps for them. While Iran adopts supportive positions to the Syrian regime and supports it on different sides. Iran and Turkey were able to make use of their mutual interests and ignore the differences, they defined the borders between their regional projects.
Thus, in January 2018, Turkey occupied the Syrian city of Afrin invoking protecting the Turkish national security, which is rejected by all international conventions. Turkey claims that it faces People's Defence Units, which Turkey considers as a Syrian part of the PKK in Turkey, which Turkey classifies as a terrorist party. The reality is that the Turkish involvement came as a result of the successes of the power balance in northern Syria, which is now clearly close to the Kurds and the Syrian regime interests.
Besides, Turkey supports many Syrian armed factions that adopt extremist ideology and supplies them with weapons, but rather those factions participated in the Turkish operations in Afrin against the Kurds. Turkey has also supported many terrorist groups in many Arab countries like the Brotherhood group and supported them, it also provided media platforms for them, which threatens the security and stability of many Arab countries like Syria and Libya, which creates another challenge facing Arab countries.
As for Iran, it supports the Syrian regime and considers it its ally, because it considers Syria the key to control and expand in the Arab world, and it is closer to the power centres in Lebanon and Iraq. Where Syria has a great position according to its strategic location in the Fertile Crescent which has wide geographical areas that help Iran continue its invasion into the Arab entity.
In Iraq, Turkish-Iranian interests meet particularly toward the Kurds, while the views of both countries vary towards Iraq, where both countries are competing for controlling the internal affairs after the great Iranian influence in Iraq.
The Turks consider Mosul as an Ottoman land, they are trying to take it and continue through their military intervention, and they are working to strengthen their influence in the north of Iraq. Since the defeat of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003, the Iranians have created multiple sectarian militias within Iraq and have strengthened their influence through supporters in the political power which rules Iraq, exploiting the US withdrawal and power vacuum.
Arab attitude
After the fall of Sana'a by the Houthi coup in September 2014, the Arab Alliance began to activate its political and military means to end the Iranian involvement that reached Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon through its terrorist militias.
The Arab resistance towards the Iranian interventions has succeeded in the geopolitical situation in maintaining the security of Bab al-Mandab Straits after the liberation of Aden. Arab diplomacy has been able to take an attitude regarding the Iranian nuclear agreement. The Gulf states should participate in any agreement in the future about the Iranian nuclear program, with the necessity of stopping the interventions in Arab internal affairs and put an end to the missile program that threatens the security and stability of the region.
On the other hand, Arabic attitude is still uncertain towards Turkey, which in turn is affecting the Arab countries through the Muslim Brotherhood. Although Turkey does not hide its hostility to several Arab capitals and tries to control them even militarily, as in Libya, the Arab League didn't ignore warning Turkey.
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
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.”
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