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From Qatar to Libya, Turkish bases spread the devastation, and guard Erdogan's ambitions

The Libyan National Army (LNA) revealed that it has foiled a Turkish project to establish a military base in cooperation with terrorist groups in Libya, in a blow to President Tayyip Erdogan's expansionist ambitions.
This shows Ankara's efforts in military expansion in the Arab region, where Turkish military bases are deployed in several countries, in what observers see the Turkish desire to restore Erdogan's influence of the former Ottoman Empire.
Ankara's relentless pursuit of a military base in Libya, in cooperation with terrorist groups, according to the Libyan National Army, is no exception to the geographical extension of the former Ottoman Empire, which Erdogan's critics say he dreams of regaining.
Ankara appears to have resorted to the strategy of establishing military bases in the Arab countries after the arguments of humanitarian support and economic investment failed to hide Turkish expansionist ambitions in the Arab region, which is driven by a certain ideological agenda.
In the Gulf, Turkey is racing against time to open a second military base in Qatar, in addition to the first base that opened in 2016, which can receive thousands of soldiers and naval and air forces.
In Somalia, which Turkey entered in 2011 with a humanitarian cover amid the famine crisis in the country at the time, the Erdogan government spent $ 50 million to set up a military base in Mogadishu with 1,500 soldiers, while spending little on building hospitals and schools, to preserve the human appearance.
The situation would have been similar in Sudan, had it not been for the vigilance of the revolutionary partners, who thwarted Ankara's efforts on the island of Suakin, where a naval military base was being concealed behind the façade of civilian facilities, under an agreement with the Bashir regime in 2017.
However, the most blatant face of Turkish military intervention in the Arab region is evident in its neighbors Syria and Iraq, on the pretext of confronting the PKK.
The Turkish president acknowledged last year the presence of 11 Turkish military bases in Iraq, which rose to more than 15 bases today, including the base of Bashiqa, more than 140 kilometers from the Turkish border, with 2,000 troops and heavy weapons, again based on the pretext of confronting the Kurds.
In Syria, 12 observation posts in the area of de-escalation have gradually been transformed into real military bases, such as those near the town of Murek, 88 kilometers from the Turkish border, as well as bases in areas they control in cooperation with armed groups adopting a specific ideology near its border.
Turkey's insistence on extending its military arms in the region, through agreements with its ideological allies, or with the logic of force, confirms, according to observers of Turkish affairs, the fears of some of Erdogan's pursuit of his expansionist Sultanic dreams.
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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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