Will Erdogan retreat on the S-400 missile deal?
January 24, 2021, 3:51 pm

Will Erdogan retreat on the S-400 missile deal?

Zara saleh

In his first confirmation hearing in Washington on January 19, the new American Secretary of State Antony Blinken clearly announced that the Turkey’s S-400 deal with Russia was “unacceptable”. Blinken also has emphasised the significance of the US sanctions to be implemented and said, “co-called strategic partner of ours would be in line with one of our biggest strategic competitors in Russia”.

Arguably, Biden’s administration “warning” which has been officially stated by the US Secretary of State, might follow further sanctions against Turkey which is still acting as not an American ally neither a NATO member. However, the Turkey’s official controversial reaction and response was first expressed by Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin whose expected Biden’s administration to open a new page regarding US-Turkey’s relationship and he said that “they want to develop good relations and to turn the page”. Whereas, the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has declared in one of his speech that “Turkey will never retreat on its S-400 deal with Russia”.

Beside that, the rise of Erdogan’s concern has become a fact after Joe Biden’s appointment of Bret McGurk to be the American Middle East representative in the National Security Council. Moreover, for Turkey, McGurk considers as one of the most pro-Kurdish US official and he has built durable relationship with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Recently, Erdogan’s “Phobia” towards Kurds went so far that it even took form of bizarre theory. The former (AKP) deputy member, Orhan Miroglu, has a speech from twitter that the US President Joe Biden is Kurdish!

Despite US and other NATO’s allies’ warnings, Erdogan insisted to challenge the NATO’s principles and signed the S-400 missile deal with Putin that is worth 2.5 billion dollars. He repeatedly declared that Turkey will not take a step back, even when the US cut a financial and manufacturing partner from the F-35 program and conducted a sanction as well. Consequently, under Biden’s administration turning on the page with Ankara will definitely be dictated by US and only Erdogan have to adhere their terms.

In terms of Moscow’s position regarding the S-400 deal that has served Russian interests, the reconsideration or retreat from Erdogan’s side could have serious outcomes. Furthermore, Erdogan doesn’t have more options as he is aware that without Russian support, he would never invade and intervene other territories such as Syria, Libya, the South Caucasus and other Mediterranean countries like Greece and Cyprus. As a result, Erdogan with his populist rhetoric went into the path of “no return” and he might have to face tough and catastrophic consequences if he decided to withdraw neither to retreat the S-400 deal with Putin.

Zara Saleh

Rouhani’s hasty speech and Fantasizing-dreaming Life after Brexit

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.”