Esen Fidanlik
Related Articles
We are witnessing the brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia, a country trying to free itself from the shadow of Moscow. It is very sad to see how the whole world is watching a country being bullied and ruined. It is unacceptable. It leads to a serious questioning of solidarity, security and trust.
Are we really so alone in the world? Is a country trying to go its own way so open to attack and bullying? Will the era of the Cold War and the domination of the great powers over the world ever end?
I just walked past the Russian Consulate in Istanbul on Istiklal Avenue and saw dozens of people with cards condemning Russia. There were Russians holding flags saying “I’m ashamed to be Russian”. I think these protests are very valuable, especially for people from a country where freedom of expression and basic individual rights are very limited.
Who is to blame?
Unfortunately, Ukraine has been the ground for manipulation by Russia and the West. The United States tricked the Kyiv government into supporting them and the United States’ goal of expanding NATO to Russian borders ended in such a disaster. I believe that the two imperial powers, Russia and the United States, are to blame for this humanitarian disaster.
Turkey is a very strategic and important country in this crisis. The statements by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry testify to a very constructive strategy. Ankara condemns Moscow for violating Ukraine’s territory and attacking a country on its soil as it also tries to maintain dialogue with the Kremlin.
Turkey is the only NATO country with good relations with both sides, which is why Erdoğan’s involvement as a mediator in this crisis could be useful in bringing Moscow to the dialogue table.
Two days have already passed since Russia started attacking Ukraine. It is feared that the capital Kyiv is also targeted. It would end in an even greater disaster as there would be street clashes and killings, which would cause the deaths of thousands of people.
The puppet request
Another possibility is that Russia is trying to bring down the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and control Ukraine with a puppet leader. In both scenarios, there is an open invasion and violation of a country’s territory and independence.
Unfortunately, gunfire is closing in on the capital every moment. The war might have reached Kyiv as you read this article. Russian tanks enter the town, which has already been hit by explosions and clashes have been reported on both sides.
People are scared. Men of almost all ages are detained by the Ukrainian authorities for joining the war as soldiers, the Ukrainian army seems to be very weak and among people in areas where there are attacks there are long silences and waiting in the shelters.
These are black days for humanity. This could lead to war on an even larger scale internationally. I hope that NATO, the United States and the European Union will learn from the mistakes and disagreements between them that gave Russia solid ground and boosted its self-esteem to attack Ukraine.
