If you have no power to defend yourself, no one will graciously give you your right

The new tension in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, which began last July with Armenia's attacks on Azerbaijani civilian targets, has turned into an unexpected counter-move by Azerbaijan in the history of the 28-year Armenian occupation, and this has caused astonishment all over the world.

It appears that Armenia, which has made an aggressive posture a habit, did not expect this counter-move, and France and other Western countries, which provoked it and supported it up to a point, did not expect such a move from Azerbaijan either. Although, according to the law based on valid international agreements and according to UN resolutions, the Nagorno-Karabakh region belongs to Azerbaijan, and Armenia is therefore regarded as an occupier with this presence, these recognitions and this law do not bind Armenia, because this occupation is met almost with understanding and no sanction whatsoever is applied against it.

Yet Armenia's occupation of Karabakh took place right after the period in which Saddam Hussein tried to occupy Kuwait by presenting a fait accompli and drew the reaction of the international community. At that time it was declared that a state relying on its armed force could not attempt to occupy a weaker country, a wrong that the so-called "new world order" could never accept. The new international order being built under the leadership of the USA would not tolerate such occupations, and those who did them would not be left unpunished. The international war-and-sanctions apparatus set in motion against Iraq was showing the order's stick as a lesson to everyone.

However, the Armenian occupation that took place only a year or two after this event, and the Khojaly massacre that took place under this occupation, went down in the records as an example of how the ruling of the new world order was swiftly suspended. True, this ruling did not come down from suspension until the most merciless genocide since the Second World War, committed against Muslims in Bosnia.

In both examples the Muslims were perhaps not weak in population but were weak in arms. It is famous that, while the Khojaly massacre was taking place in Azerbaijan, the only refuge the then President Abulfaz Elchibey could turn to, in the face of the arms superiority of the Armenians who were receiving support from the seven powers, was to ask Turkey for 4 helicopters. At that time Turkey was either not in a position to give Elchibey the help he wanted or chose not to, whichever. Thus the Azerbaijanis were subjected to a savage massacre and part of their country was occupied.

Since that day the Nagorno-Karabakh issue has stood as an insurmountable problem under Armenian occupation. Yet an international group had also been established to overcome the problem. The group called Minsk, whose members are, first of all, the parties to the conflict, Azerbaijan and Armenia, together with Turkey, the USA, Russia, France, Belarus, Germany, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland, still officially exists.

The group's aim was set as providing a suitable framework for the resolution of the dispute on the way to securing the negotiation process, and supporting the peace process by reaching an agreement on the cessation of armed conflict by the parties so as to allow the Minsk Conference to convene, and by deploying OSCE multinational peacekeeping forces. Although 28 years have passed since its founding, this group has not advanced even a millimeter. On the contrary, the Armenian occupation has in fact deepened further, and as time has passed, because efforts have been made to make Armenian settlements there more permanent, the matter has become more of a deadlock.

Now, as the operation that Azerbaijan began by resisting the Armenian attacks heads, to everyone's astonishment, toward a de facto solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, outcries have begun to rise. Very peaceful invitations to resolve the matter by diplomatic means have begun to arrive. Western countries, from which we have not heard a single word against the occupation that has continued for years, have started rushing to explain that the diplomatic solution is the only way.

Which diplomatic solution?

Why, and with what kind of solution, will those who have not lifted a finger for the 28-year occupation until now propose one from this hour on?

The only accomplishment of the diplomatic path up to now has consisted of buying time so that the occupation is firmly consolidated and becomes permanent in fact.

President Erdoğan set out his stance and approach on this matter very clearly in recent days, and his words in fact pointed to a language everyone understands in today's world order: In order to achieve results diplomatically, one must also be strong on the ground. If you do not have the power to defend yourself against the injustices you actually face on every front, no one condescends to give you your right.

That is why, because Turkey has shown its power in Syria, in Libya and in the Mediterranean, it is upsetting problems that had become chronic over the years, or rather the balances established on those problematic divisions. It is making everyone review their calculations. When Turkey does this, it also reveals who has turned their occupations, exploitations and usurpations into a de facto "order" through what kind of unjust division.

And we say again and again: Turkey does not covet more than its right, and has no eye on anyone's right. It is respectful of everyone's right but also opposed to its own right being usurped so ruthlessly. It does whatever it does for that.