Afrin: Demographic change and ethnic cleansing
May 26, 2021, 10:05 am

Afrin: Demographic change and ethnic cleansing

Zara saleh

When Turkish President Erdogan in 2018 launched a military operation with the so-called Syrian National Army in the Kurdish region of Afrin, he said at that time: “We will return Afrin to its rightful owners.” In contrast to the Turkish president's speech, the occupation of Afrin was a political deal between Turkey and Russia in order to occupy the Kurdish areas.

Furthermore, more than half of Afrin's residents were exiled from their homelands, and instead, Arab and Turkmen from different areas were settled there following Erdogan's plan of demographic change.

In purpose to change the population balance in Kurdish areas which predominantly was with more than 95% Kurdish majority, Erdogan has orchestrated a systematic demographic shift by settling non-Kurdish people in Afrin northwest Syria as a project of ethnic cleansing as well. Erdogan's occupation strategy in the Kurdish areas such as Afrin, Serekaniye, and Till Abyad was due to its 'Phobia' that the Syrian Kurds will use the Syrian conflict to fulfil their ambitions to establish a Kurdish state or autonomous in the south border of Turkey. As a result, the percentage of the Kurdish population in Afrin has decreased dramatically due to Turkey's policy of demographic change comparing to the situation before Erdogan's occupation. According to human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch and the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights more than 300,000 Kurds were forced to left Afrin and now only 25% of the region are Kurds in comparison to 75% of newly settled from Arab, Turkmen and even Palestinian people.

Recently, Turkey has used different humanitarian and charity organisations as sources for funding its demographic project in occupied areas. For example, the Kuwaiti-backed charity organisation called 'Sham Al-Khair Charity' has begun to run a permanent housing association called "Kuwait Al-Rahma" in Shirawa district in Afrin. The new housing association will include building more than 300 houses, a dispensary, a mosque, a school, and a Koranic institute for non-Kurdish residents from other Syrian areas. At the same time, Ankara and its jihadists mercenaries from the Syrian National Coalition continue their systematic plan to preventing the indigenous Kurds to become unable to return back to Afrin. Added to that, these jihadist militias always threatening the residents Kurds of Afrin by murder, kidnapping, harassment, rapes and theft.

Such as policies of demographic changes in Kurdish areas has been conducted by the Baath party with the Assad’s regime ruled for decades. The project of Arabization of Kurdish areas continued with the project of 'Arab belt' that had conducted between 1974 and 1975. The Arabisation of Jazira began when 4000 Arab families were settled in 41 model villages along the border with Turkey, northeast Syria 280 km from Sarekaniye to the Iraqi border in the east and the territories were wide between 10-15 km. That is why the Syrian regime did not respond or react to Turkey's plan in Kurdish areas as such as demographic change plan will meet its agendas as well in the future. Even in the future, when Turkey will withdraw from the Syrian territories, the Kurdish region will be a mixed population with no more Kurdish majority as it was before.

Unfortunately, all these projects now are conducting under the international community and the international coalition that should protect its main trust worthy’s ally of Kurds and the Syrian Democratic Forces.

BY: Zara Saleh

Britain will not stop the new exploration of oil despite warning the world’s top energy watchdog Britain will block London listings of companies based on security risks

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.