The new battlefield of interests!……

The location of the Mediterranean Sea is the junction of Asia, Europe, and Africa. Each of these continents is connected by the Mediterranean Sea in such a way that it diminishes in importance away from it. Since ancient times, this sea has been a centre of tension between the great powers of the world. Big states have been using this region in their favour to increase their power. The location of extraordinary importance has made the Mediterranean Sea extremely important politically and geographically for many countries in Asia and Europe, and despite the devastation caused by civil war and revolution in this regard, Libya is still an important state. At the beginning of the Cold War, the United States began to give aid to Greece and Turkey on an extraordinary scale under the Truman Doctrine. Its main purpose was to strengthen American interests in the Mediterranean region as much as possible. He also wanted Greece and Turkey to emerge as American allies against the communist bloc in the Cold War.

During the Cold War, the Mediterranean Sea was of extraordinary importance at the political and diplomatic level, and it was also of extraordinary strategic importance for Greece and Turkey, side by side with the United States and the former Soviet Union. Greece and Turkey’s status as important members of NATO was not to be ignored. On the other hand, in the same period, the emergence of Syria and Egypt as allies of the former Soviet Union and the establishment of military bases in the Sidi Barani area of Egypt in addition to the Syrian port of Tartus should also be seen in this context.

The former Soviet Union used the Sidi Barani military base until 1972 to monitor NATO activities. After the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the region became less important for the United States and Europe. While he was willing to spend more on these allies, specific political conditions during the Cold War forced the US to focus on the Middle East and Afghanistan. A big problem for the US was China, which was emerging rapidly.

The policy of bypassing the Mediterranean changed the course of affairs. China was especially encouraged. Then new oil and gas reserves were discovered, and the region gained importance again. Now America, Europe, Russia, and regional powers are in the field for greater control over natural resources.

It is now quite clear that the discovery of gas reserves has motivated the countries of the region to invest more so that politically it is not impossible to maintain the position exceptionally stable. This investment was also inevitable because by doing so, on the one hand, it would help the countries of the region to meet their internal needs and on the other hand, they would not be able to compete in the global market. Demand determines who will supply the most gas. Today, many countries rely solely on gas for energy. In this case, gas is much more than oil among the factors that increase power. As a result of this, the political facts have also changed. In the matter of energy, dependence on a single source also changes the strategic facts for the respective countries. Libya is a clear example of where matters have now gone out of the hands of the governing system.

Technical experts have said that there are extraordinary gas reserves in the Mediterranean region. The desire to gain more control over gas reserves has once again turned the Mediterranean into an arena. All the major powers are committed to a policy of greater concentration on the Mediterranean. Competition is increasing. According to a survey by “The US Geological”, the presence of 340 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves in some areas from Lebanon to Cyprus and Egypt has fuelled differences and conflicts. Many countries have stood up to assert their rights to areas rich in gas reserves. As conflicts continue to escalate, it is not always possible to prevent such cases from escalating into full-scale armed conflict.

Greece has not only discovered large amounts of oil and gas but has also begun the process of extraction. Turkey and the Turkish-administered area of Cyprus are bordered by a very large area of the Mediterranean Sea, but when they try to extract oil and gas. So, Greece and the territory of Cyprus under its control are opposed. As a result, the conflict is intensifying. Cyprus is jointly administered by Turkey and Greece and has the status of joint ownership of both. Turkey and Greece have equal claims to all the natural resources in the maritime boundaries of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. Turkey wants Cyprus to explore and extract oil and gas in the administered area, but Greece objects that it cannot allow it due to a dispute over the ownership of a small island. As a result, the differences between the two countries have once again intensified to an unprecedented level. The climate in the eastern Mediterranean is getting warmer. The growing tension between Turkey and Greece is also an alarm bell for other countries in the region. If this conflict escalates, it will have serious negative effects on the entire region.

The Turkish National Oil Company says that by the 100th anniversary of the establishment of modern Turkey (2023), it is preparing to meet the demand for oil and gas from domestic resources. The Turkish Ministry of Energy has also said that it wants to reach the first position in the entire region in terms of meeting the demand for oil and gas from domestic sources. The main question now is how this will happen and what will be the security situation in the region as a result. The rising tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean call for efforts to settle matters amicably, but so far none has been seen.

Oil and gas exploration in the region will have to be reassessed. Libya is an important country because of its oil and gas reserves. Its political and economic situation has troubled many countries in the region. Libya is by far the largest gateway to Africa. It is located in a part of the Mediterranean Sea where it has access to vast oil and gas reserves in the sea, and above all, there are vast oil and gas reserves on Libyan soil itself. Whoever controls Libya can control the entire region and, above all, the vast oil and gas reserves at their disposal. All the powers in the region and outside the region are well aware that they cannot dominate the entire Mediterranean, but they are trying to ensure that the region remains active and present in the region. No country should establish monopoly over all the resources alone. How important Libya is can be estimated from the fact that in its internal situation and case, the United States, Russia, Europe, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, Greece, Algeria and also Cyprus under the administration of Greece. have been involved. Russia, Saudi Arabia, Greece, United Arab Emirates and Western countries support “General Khalifa Haftar” in Libya.

Turkey and Qatar have strongly supported the Prime Minister appointed by the United Nations, Faiz Siraj. It is clear from the situation in Libya that the presence of vast oil and gas reserves in the region has united yesterday’s enemies and those who were allies until yesterday are now talking eye to eye. All this is for resource sharing. Each side wants to control the largest part of the territory rich in natural resources. Several militias led by “General Khalifa Haftar” are preparing to overthrow the official and legitimate government. Many powers are helping “Khalifa Haftar” in this task. All this is completely wrong, but it is happening. On the one hand, many regional and European countries are providing financial and military support to “Khalifa Haftar” in Libya, and on the other hand, Turkey has signed two major agreements with the official government of Libya.

On the one hand, there is a power vacuum in Libya. At the same time, the balance of power in the region has also deteriorated. However, the presence of vast reserves of oil and gas has made up for it. When the table is ready, everyone’s saliva is dripping. For more than a decade, the Eastern Mediterranean region has been the centre of attention and conflict with external powers. This situation has now become more serious. The presence of major powers will motivate a country in the region to avoid taking all matters into its own hands, but on the other hand, there is also the fear that this region will continue to be a testing ground between major powers, which once Then it will become a symbol of the sacrifice and destruction of millions of lives and will be preserved in the pages of history.

Now, after these circumstances, the importance of this region can be estimated from the fact that the well-thought-out plan and conspiracy of the war from Libya to Syria has been proven and it is clearly a drama created for the interests for which these forces have sacrificed millions of lives. Cut the blade and still wearing gloves on their bloodied hands, they are also playing a false tune of peace. In the 1930s, the famous American Major General Smedley Butler likened this war to “a serious deception” and said that he was researching what groups around the world are there to protect their interests. US military force is used for this. From National City Bank interests in Haiti to United Fruit Plantations in Honduras, from China’s Standard Oil Access to Nicaragua’s Brown Brothers, Major General Smedley Butler tries to prove that the US military is a few big businessmen. It works to protect the interests of the institutions and whatever amount of damage is done; it is compensated from the pockets of the American people. Their hard-earned money is looted by big corporates in collaboration with the political setup.

My very dear friend and intellectual who is also a very famous professor in the medical field and is also working tirelessly for the service of humanity, also has the same opinion that the arms manufacturing companies in America are so strong that they are working for their own interests. They keep making war between countries to sell arms and every political party is forced to implement their policies to collect huge donations from them for their elections. Times and circumstances have changed but the old adage is still valid that the more things change the more they stay the same.

It should be remembered that in the last years of Muammar Gaddafi, the relations between China and Libya had developed to an extraordinary extent. In 2010, the volume of trade between the two countries was more than 6.16 billion dollars. In 2007, when the US began to pay attention to Africa, Muammar Gaddafi, speaking to students at Oxford University, said that maintaining good relations with China has proved to be very beneficial. He openly appreciated China’s investment in Africa. At the same time, he also said that by staying away from regional politics, the Chinese have won the hearts of millions of people in Africa. Now the situation has changed. The transitional setup had frozen relations with China in its early days, which National Transitional Council officials said had punished China in the distribution of reconstruction contracts in Libya. was slow to recognize the revolutionary forces. This statement was later denied, but at the same time it was revealed that many Chinese companies were waiting for the recovery and recovery of assets of more than 8.18 billion dollars frozen and stuck in Libya, but to no avail. Now, after completing several successful rounds of negotiations with Chinese companies, the Interim National Council has turned things around to a certain extent, leading to the belief that China is silent on the potential battlefield in the Mediterranean. Will not sit.

On the other hand, a new problem has arisen for those who are fighting for their own interests in the Mediterranean Sea. Attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on cargo-carrying ships passing through the Red Sea have worried countries involved in the war of interests. The Houthis are using drones and rockets to attack commercial ships going to Israel. It should be remembered that the Houthi rebels are in control of most of Yemen and after Israel bombarded Gaza, the Houthi rebels have launched a new series of attacks on commercial ships coming from and going to Israel. In view of this situation, many major cargo trading companies have been forced to divert or stop their ships and it is also rumoured that cargo ship crews have also refused to use this route.

According to experts, prices of everyday goods such as electronic devices and trainers (shoes), including petroleum products, could rise sharply if forced to use alternative routes to avoid attacks in the Red Sea. Major shipping companies have started to avoid taking many of their ships through the “Bab Al Mandab” strait at the southern end of the Red Sea after the Houthis increased their attacks on commercial ships. The Red Sea route is of great importance to the global economy as an estimated 12 percent of world trade currently passes through the Suez Canal at the northern end of the Red Sea. Along with this, 30 percent of the world’s containers are included in the goods trade that passes through there.

After the increase in attacks by the Houthi rebels, Batil’s major company “British Petroleum” has announced the suspension of shipping through the Red Sea. Earlier, the world’s largest shipping company like “Maersk” has suspended its ships from this important trade route and now British Petroleum, Hong Kong’s “OCL”, “Hoppock Lloyd”, “M Many major companies such as “SC” and “CMACGM” have now suspended their operations through the Suez Canal through the Red Sea and are now mooring their ships at the “Cape of Good Hope” in South Africa. Alternatives are using the longer route.

Shipping costs are already rising as a result of the attacks. Now the change of route will increase the costs further as it will incur additional cost to the companies. According to a maritime security company, the demand for armed security personnel stationed on ships in the region has increased significantly, but these security personnel may not be able to effectively respond to the latest weapons, drone and rocket attacks by the Houthis. It is not possible until America or its allies start a new war in this region, which is not possible even for them at that time.

Global maritime risk management Embry said that the cost of insurance for voyages has also increased sharply and is now up from 0.015 percent to 0.5 percent. It may seem like a small difference, but even that little difference can add up to millions of dollars in additional costs for a merchant ship. According to experts, abandoning the Red Sea route will increase the cost of shipping, insurance, and other maritime logistics services by 30%, and the burden of this additional cost will have to be borne by the consumers of the American and Western allied countries, which of course It will be a great injustice for them.

Remember that more than 19 thousand Palestinians have died as a result of the Israeli bombardment, including a large number of children. The result of brutal Israeli bombing and humanitarian attacks in Gaza in early October, as the Houthis declared their support for Hamas. Now the question is whether the Israeli president’s hint of another ceasefire in his address to foreign ambassadors is only intended to release his hostages or is it intended to use his own “mercenary” generation for his own interests. Israel is being asked for a ceasefire.

Here it should also be kept in mind that there is a worldwide protest against the brutal bombing and killings of Gaza by Israel, in which the people of America, Great Britain and many other European countries are expressing their anger towards their governments. In particular, the British people have expressed their displeasure with the British Prime Minister’s visit to Israel with a plane full of weapons. This is the first time that people will definitely express their anger and displeasure through their ballot papers in the upcoming elections in the United States and the United Kingdom.