A bloody war is raging just an hour’s flight from Turkey, on the other side of the Black Sea—in other words, right next door. No one is indifferent to this war, and the brutal invasion of our neighbor, with whom we get along so well, saddens and angers us all. Everyone sane in Turkey is in a state of panic because of the events unfolding in the region.
What few expected happened: the Russians officially declared war on Ukraine in February. Of course, their predictions of “we’ll end this quickly” in this war proved false. Driven by the motivation to defend their homeland and with significant Western support, the Ukrainians continued to defy Russia.
First, by successfully pushing the Russians away from Kiev and its surrounding areas, the Ukrainians reshaped the war, prompting Russia to shift its strategic focus and focus on the eastern regions it was striving to integrate with its own country. Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, which was striving to increase its influence in the Black Sea, a decision was made in recent weeks to annex the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions. Only Russia and its allies accepted the decision to annex these regions, which had been forcibly wrested from Ukraine through fighting, to Russia. Western countries reacted strongly, but more importantly, Ukraine’s response to this annexation effort was harsh. They launched a counter-offensive and began retaking these regions village by village, town by town.
When the Ukrainians launched their counter-offensive, advancing with cutting-edge weapons acquired from Western countries, Russia’s response was harsh, and they began to utter the final word: “Don’t push the situation any further; these regions now belong to Russia. If you continue the war, we will use our nuclear power.” I’d like to share with you a news report from the Turkish media on this subject: https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/dunya/ilhaklar-kievi-durdurmadi-ukrayna-cephede-hizini-arttirdi-42147609
Bluff or not?
The question to ask at this stage is: Is this nuclear threat a bluff or real?
Some say it’s a bluff; although the Russians openly state it, they cannot risk a nuclear war. This would mean raining nuclear bombs back on Russia, putting the country in danger of annihilation.
Others say it’s real because the Western world, which hasn’t taken Putin seriously until now, who has done everything he’s said, needs to come to its senses, start taking him seriously, and develop its strategies accordingly.
I believe this threat is real and needs to be taken very seriously.
The worst-case scenario is; Russia’s use of nuclear weapons, and Western countries, especially the US, responding with thousands of nuclear weapons launched against each other, will lead to China joining the equation and entering the war in support of Russia. Such a scenario could result in the end of humanity, or at best, the global population of over 7 billion shrinking to the millions sheltering to protect themselves from nuclear power. The effects of this could last for centuries. It will only be centuries before humanity can regain a nature free from radiation.
Scenarios that could bring about the end of humanity
We will see whether leaders can afford such a catastrophic scenario. Leaders so deranged that they are completely disconnected from reality will not shy away from nuclear war. It would be safe to say that leaders so blinded by bloodshed that they could bring about the end of humanity will be indelibly etched into the darkest pages of history.
Incidentally, I have mentioned this in previous articles (See: https://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/toplumsal-akilsizlasma-uzerine-bir-film-dont-look-up ). There are four scenarios that could bring about the end of humanity:
1) Nuclear war
2) Climate change
3) Biological threats (viruses, epidemics, etc.)
4) Meteorite impact
We could perhaps add to this the scenario of “superior beings other than humanity coming to Earth, taking over, and eradicating humanity.” Just as humans do to some animals. However, the most likely and imminent scenario today is, unfortunately, nuclear war. Therefore, everyone must take this issue very seriously and do everything possible to eliminate such a possibility.
Turkey’s role and what needs to be done
Regarding Turkey’s role in this equation, we can say that the policy of neutrality we have pursued so far has been successful. However, remaining neutral does not mean remaining indifferent to certain issues. Turkey also needs to have a plan regarding the nuclear threat. It is a fact that Turkey would also be affected by the radiation that would be released if atomic bombs were dropped right next to us. After all, we are talking about a one-hour flight away. The entire country, especially our Black Sea region, could be exposed to the radiation, or even worse, this nuclear war could spread to Turkey. To this end, I believe Turkey must take the following steps:
1) In the mediation role, the goal of preventing nuclear war must be prioritized. It is essential to continue negotiations with both sides and initiate diplomatic efforts to eliminate such a possibility.
2) Measures must be taken considering the worst-case scenario. This includes building underground sheltered areas to protect our citizens should nuclear weapons be used. We also need to consider how we can mitigate the effects of the resulting radiation in Turkey. Of course, some measures must be taken to protect public health. This includes stockpiling iodine tablets. For those who don’t know, radioactive iodine is released into the air during an accident or explosion, and when inhaled or ingested through food and drink, it settles in the thyroid glands. Iodine tablets protect the thyroid gland from radioactive iodine and prevent the risk of thyroid cancer. We have heard that many European countries have begun stockpiling iodine tablets.
3) Energy-producing nuclear power plants can also be converted to produce nuclear weapons. The issue surrounding the nuclear power plant being built by the Russians in Mersin needs to be considered in two dimensions. First, the nuclear weapons could be built by the Russians on our own soil, using the plant’s nuclear capabilities, and then used against us or other countries. This would constitute an attack on our sovereign rights. Second, the nuclear power plant in Mersin could become a target and be destroyed by missile attacks from other countries. Such a bombing would unleash a nuclear disaster on our own soil. Therefore, the most rational approach is to halt the nuclear power plant project being built by the Russians in Mersin and resolve this issue through diplomatic channels. As someone who opposes the operation of nuclear power plants on Earth, I have always been negative about this project. In my opinion, all nuclear power plants should be relocated off-Earth, such as to the Moon or Mars. Nuclear energy should have a single purpose: space travel. Anything related to nuclear power plants (power plants or weapons) has no place on Earth, because in the event of a nuclear disaster, there is no other planet on Earth where we could continue our lives (at least not yet). I once wrote an article entitled Questions to Ask About Nuclear Power Plants to express my concerns: https://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/nukleer-santralle-ilgili-sorulacak-sorular . In this article, I expressed and explained the following concerns:
1- Nuclear Waste
2- Waste Heat
3- National Security
4- Risk of Accidents
5- Cost
6- Incentive Price to be Paid
7- Security of the Power Plant
Now I say that, among all these concerns, the most pressing issue is the security of such a power plant operated by the Russians. If a nuclear war breaks out, I don’t even want to think about what could happen to this nuclear power plant, built on such an idyllic Mediterranean coast.
Bitter Lessons from History
While discussing the potential disasters associated with nuclear power plants, I also want to emphasize that we must learn from the past. To help you visualize exactly what I’m trying to say, I’d like to remind you of the six largest nuclear accidents that have occurred in the last 65 years and caused irreversible damage to nature (See: https://listelist.com/nukleer-kazalar/ ):
1- Mayak (Kyshtym – Russia)
2- Windscale (England)
3- Three Mile Island (USA – Pennsylvania)
4- Chernobyl (Ukraine – Former Soviet Union)
5- Mihama (Japan)
6- Fukushima (Japan)
I hope that all these disaster scenarios will be thwarted, and peace will be restored in our region. While this may seem easy to say and nearly impossible to achieve in this climate, I hold out hope that all parties will come to their senses, that the possibility of a nuclear threat will be eliminated in the short term, and that this senseless war will end in the long run.
I’d like to remind you that I personally do everything in this life to ensure the development of humanity and to establish a better life for future generations. I hope those who govern countries will approach events with this mindset. Stay well.
Tag: health
