What does Turkey Want from the Kurds?
September 14, 2019, 9:59 am

Jwan Dibo

Turkey has threatened to launch a massive military operation against the US-backed 'the Syrian Democratic Forces', which are mainly made up of the Syrian Kurds despite its recent agreement with the United States regarding the “safe zone” in north and north-eastern Syria. This was announced repeatedly by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his recent televised speeches and his shuttle tours in Turkey.

The Turkish President has stated “We will begin our operation to free the east of the Euphrates from the separatist organization within a few weeks. Our target is not the American soldiers – it is the terror organizations that are active in the region.”

What made the relationship between Turkey and Kurds more tense and complex during last years is the capability of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syria, the PKK strong ally in the Syrian Kurdistan to play an important role in the Syrian dilemma since 2012. Turkish government has announced distinctly that Turkey will not allow the Kurds in Syria to have their own independent status, even within a new unified federal Syria. In this context, dozens of international reports indicated explicitly that Turkey has helped many extremist groups in Syria, including ISIL, in order to undermine the Kurdish self-administration in Rojava. In addition, Turkey has been applying a robust economic blockade against Kurdish regions in Syria. The recent Turkish communications with al-Assad regime under the Russian supervision were established based on the obsessions and rejection of both sides to an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria.

The rise of Kurdish influence in Syria since the eruption of the Syrian civil war in 2011 is a real concern for the Turkish state. Kurdish aspiration towards freedom and emancipation in Syria as well as everywhere is a red line for Turkey and a matter that impacts its national security according to Turkish interpretation and propaganda.

On this basis, Turkey strives to curb Kurdish attempts to accomplish their own goals in freedom almost everywhere in the Middle East. In this context, Turkey has been working hard on several fronts at the same time. Since 1984, Turkey has been waging a fierce war against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) led by Abdullah Ocalan, who is sentenced to life imprisonment in the Turkish island of Imrali since 1999. For more than 20 months, Turkish authorities have arrested many Kurdish parliamentarians and the heads of the Democratic People’s Party on charges of communicating with PKK, which is classified as a terrorist group by the Turkish government. Last month, Turkish government ousted three Kurdish mayors from their post on suspicion of links to PKK, although they were democratically elected.

Furthermore, in September 2017, Turkey mobilized dozens of military vehicles and tanks and hundreds of soldiers on the border of the Kurdistan region in Iraq during the Kurdish referendum for independence. Moreover, Turkey threatened to invade and occupy the Iraqi Kurdistan in case the Kurds declare the independence and even to undermine its federalism enjoyed since 2003, if necessary.

On 20th January 2018, Turkish forces, with the help of Syrian Islamist militants, launched an air and ground war aimed at occupying the predominantly Kurdish region of Afrin in northwest Syria and expelling the Kurdish People’s Protection Units which forms the bulk of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). On 18 March, Turkey and its allies succeeded to enter the city of Afrin, the move that caused the displacement of dozens of thousands of its Kurdish habitants.

Turkey has occupied the region of Afrin with the aim of severing the Kurdish areas in Syria from each other. In other words, separating the Western and Eastern areas of the Euphrates River from each other. Thus, the Syrian Kurds will not be able to reach the shores of the Mediterranean and declare the independent state according to Turkish allegations.

Nowadays, Turkey wants to repeat what it did in Afrin in the east of the Euphrates too. However, what prevents it from doing so is the U.S. military presence there. This military presence which was accompanied by unrivalled support for the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) which forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). This support has strained U.S-Turkish relations throughout the Syrian crisis.

Turkey’s problem is not with PPK in Turkey or with the Democratic Union Party and the Kurdish People’s Protection Units in Syria or with Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraqi Kurdistan, but it is with Kurdish efforts and endeavours for freedom and rights irrespective of the formulations and forms. One sentence had been saying by the former Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit that summed up the Turkish policy on Kurdish attempts for freedom, rights, and independence over the course of a century “We will fight against the establishment of a Kurdish state, even if it appears in South Africa”. Knowing that the Syrian Kurds struggle for their own rights within the framework of a new federal Syria and do not intend to secede.

Libya: GNA Grants Chadians Passports amid Growing Concerns Turkey orders arrest of 223 military personnel over suspected Gulen links

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.