Trump’s Golan outburst and Jerusalem: Column

What do Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed say about U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Golan belongs to Israel” outburst?

Are they going to have any objections against Golan Heights, which has been under occupation since 1967, Syrian land, Arab land, to be given, made available to Israel? Will they say anything, will they say “no”? Will they at least be able to say “Do not do it, this is a Syrian land”?

Will they at least be able to raise their voices as much as the U.N., the EU, Turkey, Pakistan, the other Muslim countries, and Russia?

Are you going to object if one day they say, ‘Mecca isn’t yours too’?

What will they say, or will they have anything to say if one day they turn around and say, “We do not see Mecca and Medina as Saudi Arabian territory, we are going to establish a Vatican-like city there”?

Or have they already long discussed and finalized the Golan matter too, like they kept quiet about Jerusalem, and made secret agreements with the U.S. and Israel? Do they have a secret understanding? Did they receive secret instructions?

All wars in the region since the 1991 Gulf War have been happening on Arab lands. Ever since that date, the Arabs lost in all these wars. The main threat that led to the ruin of Arab lands is not the outside invasion only. The Arab political mind’s dependency on these invading forces is their submission, it is paving the way for them.

We are seeing the most extreme examples of this, the most difficult to digest betrayals nowadays through these two crown princes. These two people, who are under the control of U.S. and Israeli intelligence, became enemies of Turkey just because they wanted it; they are leading the treading over Arab lands and values just because they want it.

Golan outburst: This is a very dangerous time for the world.

New shocks will follow…

Trump’s “Golan” outburst is the sign of a very dangerous period for the world. He had already signaled that dangerous period when he previously said, “We recognize Guaido as the state president in Venezuela.”

Now, instead of telling the country that has invaded Syrian territory, “End this invasion, in compliance with the U.N. and all international agreements and laws, this land should be returned to Syria,” he says, “This land belongs to Israel now.”

There will be more to follow. Especially in our region, there are more painful examples of this in store, and they will happen right in front of our eyes. Because the plans behind the Syria war are only recently starting to come out. The geopolitical outcomes of the invasion of Iraq are only recently starting to be revealed. All the steps to be taken from now on are planned together with the fate of these two countries.

Could there be a ‘Golan outburst’ for Turkey too one day?

A step later, we are going to see the same outburst for northern Syria, the hundreds-of-kilometers-long corridor in the south of Turkey. A new map for northern Syria may be declared some time later.

Perhaps there is a waiting period for Turkey’s outrage to die down. Perhaps new troubles are going to be concocted for Turkey, forcing it to keep silent, and this will hence be declared. This will happen. This is why we constantly insisted on an intervention in the east of the Euphrates, “regardless of the consequences.”

Because we know that this is the defense of Anatolia. Because if this is not done, in the future, the defense will be in the depths of Anatolia. Because as soon as a “declaration” is made for the east of the Euphrates, preparations to form the same atmosphere for a part of Turkey will also gain speed. Because if we do not resist against all this now, if we do not take action now, one day, this nation will face a “Golan” declaration for Turkey too.

Will they not lay Istanbul on the table!

Did they not say it on July 15?

All of humanity is being dragged toward a world without sacred values – a world in which power and showdowns have the entire priority. Centuries-old accounts, files are laid on the table – and they will continue to be laid.

We are going to face all over again not only the accounts of World War I and after, but also all the accounts ever since the day we settled in this region.

Do you think that those who invaded Jerusalem five centuries later, those who destroyed Andalusia seven centuries later, will not place Istanbul on the table? Do you think they do not want to call to account for this?

Do you think that one day, a U.S. president is not going to come out and say, “Istanbul does not belong to you”? How do you think this period starting with Golan today will reflect on us and the world in the future? Did they not say this on July 15, 2016? They did say it, and they said it openly, but how many of us were able to notice it?

No issue, no scenario in this region are independent of one another.

We really need to know what we stand against, what we should stand against today. No issue no country, no city in this region is outside us. We are at the center of all plans, and we will continue to be so.

No issue is independent of us, now identity, no scenario, no history is independent of us. Both the past and the future of the region are our issues.

Therefore, we should have a say on every matter and development. We must have an attitude, and where necessary, an anger. But beyond all, we must have a region mind. Turkey should be controlled by such a mind. This is the fight that has been put up for 15 years. This is a fight for the past and the future.

Our primary principle is that no force from outside the region, no foreign country – regardless of the reason – should never again draw a map in this region. They should not even be able to make such a suggestion, let alone draw it. Anyone who paves the pave for them, legitimizes them, acts in cooperation with them, finds them right are in betrayal – they are enemies of Turkey and the region.

Whatever is on the table since Byzantine:

This is what a perpetuity matter is!

Do you know a perpetuity matter is? A claim, an issue being discussed once again centuries of years later. Remember the examples of Jerusalem and Andalusia. Think about Anatolia and Istanbul. Add to them those who sacrificed these thoughts for three mayors. This is what a perpetuity matter is.

They are going to open the entire region to discussion. They are going to place on the table all the files since the Crusades. They are going to open to discussion all issues for Turkey since Byzantine, since Vienna to today.

Prepare your words. You need to say them before they do, you need to draw maps before they do. We have no choice other than showdown, and being strong.

*By: İbrahim Karagül. The article was published on Yeni Safak Turkish newspaper on 23 March 2019.