The world in 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump, who is preparing to write his name in history as the first leader to run the country from Twitter, squeezed in among daily reports another mysterious message yesterday, that can be drawn to mean basically anything, “Interesting things are happening.” What did Trump wish to convey with the statement he made following the telephone conversation with the Saudi king regarding peace in the Middle East? 

Of course, we have no idea. Even if it was said in a positive or negative sense, it would not make a difference for us, because with him, when perceiving, assessing what is happening, the notions of positive and negative frequently change places. Let us see what is going to happen following this message.

It is important, because both the U.S. and Saudi Arabia are, whether we like it or not, important actors on a variety of issues concerning the region.

 As the Qatar crisis is reignited, just as it seems to start and then end, this “interesting” comment makes one brood over the matter. It is obvious the matter includes many headlines from battling Daesh to Qatar’s situation, from Palestine’s future to Jordan and Iran, and every one of these headlines very closely concern us. Claims in recent days that aircraft linked to the Saudi Arabian Air Forces, have taken alert, the statement that the king will not be attending the G20 Summit, the problem being on hold upon Doha rejecting the 13-point demand, claims that the search and alliances which have started for the leader cadre which will determine Palestine’s future, despite Palestinians, consecutively all fit into a short week.

 The region is shaking every day, every hour as a matter of fact, with changing balances, renewed alliances, brand new and unexpected attacks – whether it be political or military – with mini earthquakes.

 The problems of some 2 million people living in Gaza with no electricity and a lack of food and medication are lost amid these tremors. Are the problems of Palestine, of Palestinians, problems resulting from those outside them alone? Or, how much of a role do the discrepancies, different relationships among themselves play in the resolution of this matter that has become gangrenous?

 While the future of Cyprus, which everyone knows is closely related to all these issues, has only recently been discussed between the sides, in Switzerland, the newsflash that the Greek coast guard opened fire on a Turkish-flagged cargo vessel in the Aegean Sea appears on headlines. A little while later, it is reported that there are 36 bullet holes in the vessel. Critical meetings, discussing the future of the island, are also going to be held this week. And they are going to start under the shadow of such an incident. We hope this operation is not an extension of a political attitude concerning the meetings and is just one of the routine smuggling operations in open seas.

 We are face to face with the biggest migration, refugee crisis in history and we are in a period in which enemies of humanity, who are involved in human smuggling, child abduction, organ smuggling, are most profitable.

It is obvious how much we would suffer should our child’s finger simply be pricked by needle. But while we live an average lifespan, how many million children are going to die or be crippled; how many have died or become crippled…

 In a life in which even renting is a huge problem and changing homes is a heavy burden on people, the number of those who were obliged to leave their own country and cannot even return has reached a quarter billion.