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Russia’s Policy Towards Kurds Throughout the Syrian Conflict

Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has espoused an inimical position towards the aspirations of the Kurds in Syria. Russia’s stance was formulated based on the interplay of the Kurdish political and military forces with Russian strategy that sought to protect and uphold al-Assad regime.
Russia’s agendas as a superpower and the Kurds as a local power were and still incompatible throughout the Syrian calamity. Russia intervened militarily in the Syrian crisis in 2015 aiming to save Assad regime from an impending collapse. While the Kurds sought to obtain self-rule within a new Syria, which they hoped would be federal and decentralised. So, it was understandable that Russia to stand against the Kurds and even to support those who hostile them.
When Turkey shot down the Russian aircraft in 2015, Russia began to use the Kurdish issue in Syria against Turkey. Due to the intransigent stance of Turkey, many Russian officials stressed the necessity for self-determination of the Kurds in Syria as well as in the entire Middle East. However, before the escalation between Russia and Turkey, the Kremlin showed its high resentment and decisive reluctance about the formation of the Kurdish self-administration in north and east Syria in 2014. The Kremlin, simply, considered the Kurdish move as a threat to his ally’s power, viz., Al-Assad regime.
After the American air forces helped Kurdish Peoples Protection Unites (YPG) against ISIS in the battle of Kobane in 2014, the relations between U.S and Turkey started to worsen. Russia took the opportunity to improve its relations with Turkey by intimidating Ankara that U.S is helping the Democratic Union Party (PYD) that affiliated to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Russia went further when it frequently proclaimed that U.S supports Kurdish separatists in Syria referring to PYD and its military wing YPG that made up the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
In the beginning of 2018, the Kurds in Syria received the first Russia’s tangible betrayal when it allowed Turkey to invade the Kurdish city of Afrin and to undermine a part of the Kurdish self-administration. The disgraceful deal between Russia and Turkey was known as Afrin to Turkey in exchange for Ghouta to Russia and the Syrian regime.
Prior to Turkish occupation of Afrin, Russia’s stance on the independence referendum of Iraqi Kurdistan in 2017 was based on its policies in Syria and the role of Turkey and Iran. Russian position on the referendum at the beginning was relatively better compared to the positions of other great powers. But later it turned out that this was to blackmail Turkey and Iran and to obtain concessions from both states in Syria.
Russian anger toward the Kurds increased when the latter who lead SDF became the U.S. essential partners in fighting ISIS in Syria. In other words, when the largest Kurdish political and military forces in Syria practically became dependent on U.S. in terms of supply and protection. Russia started to punish Kurds by mediating between Damascus and Ankara in terms of diplomacy and intelligence over the rise of the Kurdish situation in Syria, the matter which disturbs both states.
Now, Russia desires to repeat Afrin’s black scenario in the town of Ain Issa which is considered as the administrative capital of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. After SDF rejected Russia’s proposal to hand over the town to the Syrian regime, Moscow granted a green light to Ankara to commence a new offensive against the Kurds. Russia tries to utilise, as much as possible, from the rest days of Trump’s administration and to shuffle more the cards in the game on the Syrian arena. The reason behind that is to make Biden’s administration confront a complex and bewildered reality in Syria.
Historically, the former Soviet Union and its successor, Russia, have not been friends and allies of Kurds. In 1946, the Kurdish Republic of Mahabad in Iranian Kurdistan was established with a hidden support from the Soviet leadership. Eleven months later, the Republic of Mahabad collapsed by Iranian authorities after, Joseph Stalin, abandoned the Kurdish Republic. Soviet leaders adopted another passive attitude towards the Kurdish revolution in Iraqi Kurdistan led by Mustafa Barzani during the sixth and seventh decades of the last century.
These days, history is repeating itself again and in another way in Syria. Once again, Russia is standing up against the legitimate and modest Kurdish aspirations in Syria in order to preserve its interests that conflict with the Kurds' obtaining some of their rights. Russia has not hesitated for a moment to penalise the Kurds in Syria, even by allowing Turkey to occupy their lands and shed their blood. Yes, it is the logic that says that a state ruled by an absolute dictator and has a long history of persecuting different peoples cannot support the rights of another oppressed people like the Kurds in Syria.
By: Jwan Dibo
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
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.
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