Voices rising from the people of the Gulf

The Gulf Cooperation Council held its 39th Meeting during the past week. Although the Council's founding in 1981 was at the time based on security concerns in the face of the threat of the Iranian Revolution, over time its economic and political cooperation dimension came to weigh more heavily. In fact, this dimension, which has been oriented rather toward harmony with the economic balances of the world system and which carries no claim on behalf of the Gulf peoples, has always attracted attention.

The most comprehensive and best assessments of the Council were made by our colleagues at Yeni Şafak, Nedret Ersanel and Zekeriya Kurşun. An assessment piece of mine on the Council's last meeting was also published on Wednesday. In fact, the general conclusion of all the assessments can be summed up as that the Council no longer has a de facto function or existence. Yet the peoples of the member states have great expectations of bodies such as KİK, the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The Islamic world has mountain-like problems that continue to grow every day, and it is quite normal for peoples to hold expectations of such bodies. But it is very clear that these bodies have been unable to meet these expectations at all, and therefore respond to them with great disappointment.

Today, upon my article on the subject, I would like to include a message from one of the Gulf countries. The text came in Arabic, in the form of a voice message. My valued friend Muhammad Erdoğan made the transcript and the first translation. I found the message very typical and meaningful in showing the views and expectations of the Arab peoples regarding such meetings and how far removed these are from those who hold these meetings:

The citizen says in his message:

"The 39th Gulf Cooperation Council summit was held. It can hardly be a surprising reaction that the peoples of the 6 participating member states hold no positive expectations in favor of their own countries. We are witnessing that the children who were born during the 1st Gulf Cooperation Council Summit have now become grandparents.

The first council held produced no fruit at all; it was erased from people's consciences and forgotten, and shut its doors behind itself.

Yet the impression was always given that the Council would create virtual miracles for the people.

Coming to the last meeting, first it is worth noting that the last council meeting was no different from the other meetings, and was held in the hope that people would not awaken from the deep sleep they are thought to be in.

We, as a people, were expecting our countries to attain the greatest financial power with the underground energy resources they possess, but again, as always, they condemned us to the dollar.

We were expecting that, in order to end the dependence on imports in the agricultural sector, they would develop their own agriculture and implement new policies, but again we saw that food imports would continue and that no decisions were taken in a different direction.

From the east to the west of the geography, we saw that we had again not been rid of the system of monopolism that the West imposes.

We expected that they would compete with developed countries with technological devices to be developed and in the petrochemical industry sector, but again we saw that imports of every kind of technology, even medicines, from outside would continue.

We hoped that scientific laboratories and universities would be built and that these institutions would produce tens of thousands of scientists, but we saw that students would still be sent abroad to be educated there, and that talented young people and scientists would continue to be snatched away by the West.

We expected them to have sea, land and air fleets based on domestic production, but unfortunately, in the same way, we saw that dependence on the outside would continue in this field too.

We wanted to see the investment bonds of 56 Muslim countries not under the name of American investment bonds but under the name of Islamic Cooperation.

We were expecting that not a penny more would be paid to European and American banks, but again it did not happen; we saw that there was no desire for independence and for being freed from slavery.

We expected that borders would be lifted and self-sufficient policies would be produced on almost any platform, administrative, judicial, architectural, health, education, transport; unfortunately, again we could see no progress in this regard.

That a groundwork would be prepared for producing new energy sources using sunlight and sea waves, we unfortunately again did not see.

We expected that the infrastructure of various defense industries would be built in a manner befitting the stature of the Gulf countries; we saw that we would continue to be forced to import defense industry equipment of the lowest quality at the highest price.

We expected measures to be taken for developing the creative fine arts in place of the dissolute entertainment culture that dulls our young people's values and pollutes their minds…

We expected that thought and field research in scientific and intellectual research centers would be encouraged to be conducted in a way that deepens and points to the verses and miracles mentioned in the Holy Qur'an…

We expected measures by which every citizen of the Council's member states would be freed from the quagmire of debt and credit that prevents them from attaining an honorable standard of living…

But we could not see any of what we have mentioned realized at the 39th Meeting of KİK; it seems that at this rate we will not see it at the 99th Meeting either.

Just as they did not materialize in previous meetings, none of these expectations materialized at this meeting either. It is very clear that unless the Gulf countries rely on their own peoples, they will not be able to be rid of dependence on the outside and will not be able to resist an external attack directed at them. In fact, the Gulf countries' greatest problem, and its solution, lie at this point. If they take measures that rely on their own peoples, all these reforms will be carried out better, and in that case the threat of no external power will work against any of these countries."

This voice coming from the Gulf peoples, expressing disappointment toward the Council and voicing a search for an alternative, is gradually rising.

How much this voice will find its place is not known, but it would be good for them to listen to it; otherwise the course is not at all good for them.