Witnessing such a war in 2022 is painful. This brutal attack on Ukraine, one of Turkey’s most beloved neighbors nationwide, and the failure of anyone to take deterrent steps, has saddened and unsettled many Turkish citizens, including me. It has also made us rethink our country’s national security. Especially with this war, we have once again understood the importance of the Montreux Convention, which affirms our neutrality and gives us the keys to the Straits.
What’s the point of declaring war on a harmless country like Ukraine, which everyone views with sympathy, because “You’ve gotten too close to the West”? As a result of this confrontation between NATO countries and Russia, Ukraine is the country that has been declared at war. It’s like elephants fighting and grass being trampled.
Building a world based on values
Enough is enough. We’ve seen enough war and suffering in our lifetimes. The Iraq wars, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and now Ukraine are the first that come to mind. Millions of innocent people have been killed or injured in these wars. What pains one the most is the endangerment, injury, or loss of life of children.
Humanity, which experienced two world wars in the last century, must now learn from the past, end the arms race, and build a world based on values.
Especially, nuclear energy must be eliminated from the face of the earth. Forgetting nuclear weapons, I believe even nuclear energy facilities should be shut down and dismantled. Nuclear research should also be moved off-world, perhaps to the moon or other planets. In my opinion, the only place where nuclear energy sources are needed is for space travel. We don’t need nuclear energy beyond that. Renewable energy is sufficient for the world. Accidents at nuclear power plants like Chernobyl would harm or even kill millions. A nuclear war would spell the end of humanity.
We don’t know when the struggle for regional dominance over Ukraine will end. We hope the parties will reach a ceasefire agreement as soon as possible and resolve the issue through diplomacy.
Tyranny sets humanity back.
The ruling governments of all countries around the world must now acknowledge that we have entered a new era and refrain from actions that harm humanity, focusing on the well-being and happiness of their people.
Leaders of countries who have not learned the lessons of World War I and II must refrain from actions that could provoke a Third World War by carrying out the resentment of the past. In today’s world, threatening and then attacking other countries to achieve their goals, claiming, “I have nuclear weapons, my army is very powerful,” and disregarding international law, is tyranny and sets humanity back. These actions deal a serious blow to human development.
A future where borders are abolished.
We may not see this happen, but in the future, we will move towards a world order where borders are abolished, where everyone lives together in brotherhood, and where people are connected and organized through networks of distributed systems.
I believe many Russians oppose this war, or at least that it shouldn’t be prolonged. In fact, anti-war protests have already begun from the very beginning*. The ability of people to live together in peace is crucial for human development.
On this occasion, I offer my best wishes to the Ukrainian people and hope for a swift end to this senseless war.
Note: I didn’t know so many Turks lived and studied in Ukraine. Thanks to the Turks who worked as reporters during the war, we learned this.
* I’m sharing an example of anti-war protests: Instagram’da ben.raue: NO TO WAR! Chanted people on the streets of #Moscow earlier today. #PrayForPeace
** Ukrainian President Volodymyr Oleksandrovich Zelenskyy’s declaration that they would defend their country to the end and then never wavering from this stance is to be commended. Here’s a link to a speech he gave at the beginning of the war as an example of this stance Zelenskyy displayed on behalf of the Ukrainian people:Instagram’da Orijinali Ne?: “✌️ Volodymyr Zelenskyy’den mesaj var. Onurlu duruşunu gerçekten takdir ettim.
