Turkey has to focus on three main points, or at least it had to so in the past. I have previously expressed this. Libya is the gateway of the Persian gulf and the Mediterranean route to Africa, and Yemen is the key to the Indian Ocean.
Unfortunately all three regions are stages of the world’s biggest conflicts. Turkey has to take responsibility in this historical triangle.
However, global powers that cannot stomach Turkey’s foreign policy are constantly trying to distance it from the region. Whereas, when Qatar was sieged for for no reason at all, Turkeys swift and firm policy alleviated the fire in the Persian Gulf.
Turkey having a military base in Qatar saved the region from constant chaos. Behind the Gulf’s thawed ties today and the backdoor diplomacy between Qatar and Saudi Arabia lies Turkey’s military presence in the Gulf.
Although it’s not spoken of today, history will be written on Turkey’s military presence in Qatar that contributed to the establishment of peace.
Those who were unsuccessful in breaking out a war against Qatar have drenched Yemen in blood and brought the country to the brink of destruction in front of the whole world’s eyes.
The heavy military presence of the West in Yemen’s Aden and Bab al-Mandab in no way prevented this war. On the contrary, the support given to the Saudi-led coalition and the hypocrisy displayed in politics and international diplomacy was also presented in the war.
Just as a years-long meaningless conflict was broken out between Iraq and Iran, now the same is happening between Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
They are being made to fight against each other...
Would this have happened if there were a Turkish military base in Yemen? Of course not... At the very least, the progress made in the situation with Qatar could’ve been made here too.
The historical relations between Turkey and Yemen, the fact that the two countries have no reservations against each other could have prevented the war from breaking out or at least from growing to this extent.
Unfortunately, it was already too late. The same effort that was made to rebuild Somalia was not shown in Yemen, and one of the landmarks in the history of Turkey was broken.
In 2011, when protests broke out in Libya against Myanmar Gaddafi Turkey remained neutral.
While cautioning opposing sides to act with restraint, it conducted important humanitarian operations across the world.
However, foreign forces that Turkey didn’t recognize were suddenly unleashed on the field. What’s more, Khalifa Haftar, whom the U.S. had groomed for years, was brought forth, lit a huge fire of conflict in Libya.
The same tactic was implemented everywhere. First, terror was spread. Fear was then spread in the hearts of the public, the administration, everyone. Fake saviors then proceeded to take the stage.
Libya was divided by Haftar, by the hand of the very man who claimed he wanted to unite the country, and the threat reached the borders of Tripoli and Misrata.
Libya stands for Turkey’s honor. Tripoli and Misrata are the keys to the future of regional peace, as much as Turkey is.
It is too important to be isolated and too valuable to be abandoned.
Moreover, it is Turkey's exit gate from the Mediterranean region and its entrance to Africa.
Now let’s ask the million dollar question: should Turkey send troops to the UN-recognized government of Libya?
Should it build a military base as it did in Qatar? Our answer is loud and clear. For the balances to be reestablished and for peace to reign, yes; we need to deploy troops, and build a military base if necessary.
However, this should be done without delay. Turkey should take its precaution before we have another Yemen on our hands.
History is witness to the thousands of disasters that have been born from delay. For the preservation of peace, Turkey’s parliament should make a swift decision and relieve the public’s conscience.
Even though deploying troops and building a base is risking a war, it is the one and only unavoidable way to establish peace.
It is not possible to get Haftar and his mercenaries to withdraw with diplomacy.
I have never defended war in any of my articles. Nor am I doing so now. I also find war-mongering immoral. However, I believe that we need to speak in the language of those screaming battle cries.
For this reason I am going to repeat myself: deploying troops to Libya is not demanding war but peace.
It is preventing bloodshed in the region. It is keeping alive the centuries-long blood ties with Libya.
Furthermore, it is paying its debt to Libya, the safe harbor that Mediterranean Turks took refuge in whenever they were in trouble.
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