We Do Not Listen, We Cannot Make Ourselves Heard, They Do Not Listen

We taught the world: “Dirty laundry is washed at home.” Putin spoke to American journalist Tucker Carlson. Through the Western press, Putin addressed everyone. Without ifs or buts, unequivocally and openly, he said that there is no such state as Ukraine. He presented the justification for not invading, not annexing, or not conducting a military operation in Ukraine until today as the good relations that Ukraine established or could have established with Russia following its independence. With his general knowledge, history, and political insight, Putin turned the interview into a monologue.

The “special military operation” or “invasion” against Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. Some said this would be over in 2 months. Others said the Russian economy could not withstand it and the West would win. Since February 24, 2022, a clear embargo has been imposed by the West on Russian state officials and supporters of Russia. Who benefited from this embargo? Was Russia the only one affected by the embargo? Undoubtedly, it was not. The West was also affected. The West proved that freedom of thought, democracy, law, and common sense can only function in very rare times. Because they did not condemn Russia—mind you, not because they “supported” it, but because they did not condemn it—they fired people of Russian origin from their jobs and silenced their voices. Russian literary works were either removed from school curricula or temporarily bypassed. Against an action of Russia's current administration, all of Russian history, the Russian language, and Russia itself were targeted. Some of us are surprised by this. Yet, we are in an echo chamber, and we cannot get out.

Look. Whether Russia was under the Tsarist regime, under the Soviet Socialist regime, or finally now under Putin's administration, it has been an “other,” a potential enemy for the West. Is this only true for Russia? The same applies to Turkey. For the West, during the Ottoman Empire, there was a state on our lands that was meant to be partitioned and crushed. The Ottoman Empire modernized. That was not enough; it resisted, it transformed. Ultimately, it was dismantled. The modern state established in Turkey afterward was also in the West's crosshairs. A similar situation applies to the Serbs. The same situation applies to China. When China was an old empire, it was the West's other, enemy, and spoils. China modernized, but that was not enough. Sun Yat-sen made China a modern state. The West's hostility actually increased. Mao led a revolution. China was still an enemy. The Deng Xiaoping regime relaxed the system, and China was still an enemy. Ultimately, China “liberalized,” but to no avail! China is still an enemy.

We are in an echo chamber. We cannot get out. We do not listen, we cannot make ourselves heard. They do not listen. They did not listen to Putin. They did not even pay attention to him. Putin and the Russian state said it openly, and they said it repeatedly. Sometimes we mistook silence for acceptance. We shall see; I hope I am wrong. If things continue this way, Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore will be pregnant with crises. So will the Czech Republic, Germany, and France. Turkey is already under the occupation of refugees. But we do not listen, we cannot make ourselves heard, they do not listen.

The West did not listen to Russia; it was afraid to listen. Yet, facing it and debating it would have been much easier. No matter how bad they are, no matter how visible they appear, demonizing potential “dangers” from the start, not listening to them, and especially if it is “demonic,” not paying attention to it and not facing it is the greatest mistake. Dangers are happening right before our eyes. For years, they did not listen to those who warned about FETÖ. They either did not listen to the issue of the Adnan Oktar armed criminal organization or they watered it down. They turned a deaf ear to disasters. We have lost and are losing our lives in earthquakes, floods, and most recently in İliç. We do not listen, we cannot make ourselves heard, they do not listen.

We must show the courage to get out of the echo chamber. Even if the biggest monster stands in the dark, we must turn on the light and face it. Otherwise, our greatest fears will accumulate in the corners left in the dark. We must show the courage to leave the comfortable world of lies and illusions. Regimes and understandings are changing in the world. We need new sets of concepts, an open mind, and critical thinking. But most of all, we need the courage to face the truth!