Turkey’s operations that started with Afrin and which will continue up to the Iranian border are part of the global power showdown. A massive struggle is being put up. The scores of the past century are being settled, the power map of the future century is being shaped.

This is a conjunctural outburst, not a reaction; it is Turkey’s historic geopolitical move. It is the shaping of the future, not the present, and the strongest intervention of Turkey’s new rising period. It is announcing to the world that the region cannot be built without Turkey, that history cannot be made in the region and that a map cannot be drawn by pushing Turkey aside.

Even though we see this as a homeland defense, even though we see it as the effort to wipe out the new frontline surrounding our country from the south, even though we see it as an attempt of countries, who were once our allies, to bring a NATO member to its knees through terrorist organizations, even though we consider it as our nation’s joint response to the wave of attacks that are the continuation of the July 15 attack, you will see the immense global-scale changes the showdown in that zone will lead to.

The U.S. decision to deport 60, most European countries’ decision to deport two-to-three Russian diplomats each, the U.K.-Russia fight increasingly manifesting into an East-West frontline, the West bloc getting ready to divide Russia, their overt intentions to attack, Russia seeing this threat and becoming aggressive, choosing offense instead of defense is the harbinger of a strong, global-scale storm. The line spanning the Baltics and Eastern Europe is the East-West breaking point. Great showdowns, clashes, and perhaps even wars are going to start on this faultline.

The July 15 attack aimed at Turkey was a multinational intervention. The plan to siege, to close in on Turkey from the south, to build a hundreds-of-kilometers-long “Turkey front” spanning the Mediterranean and the Iranian border is also part of this major global showdown.

This zone is no different a front than the Baltics-Eastern Europe line. It is a faultline, a showdown region. The great showdown has other similar fronts – like East Asia, like the Caucasus, like the zone spanning the Red Sea to Southeast Asia.

The U.K.-Russia spat must be taken seriously. The crisis between the Atlantic alliance, consisting of the U.S. and Europe, and the Russian and Asian forces is going to escalate. Russia is not the West’s only target; China and other Asian forces are somehow going to become involved too.

The world might split into two as the East and West. One morning, we might wake up to witness at least 10 countries going to war at once, a Russia-Europe war erupting, or the entire West attacking Russia.

Turkey is in the middle of this great global fight. It is right in the middle both geographically and in terms of Turkey’s great claims. We are not fighting terrorism in northern Syria. We are not in a showdown with terrorist organizations in Afrin, Manbij, Tel Rifaat or Sinjar, but with this Western invading alliance; we are responding to their plans to divide Turkey in those areas.

These operations should not be perceived as a strictly regional problem. Because we know that if that zone is completed, we will lose the chance to keep Turkey together, the 21st century is going to end for us before it starts. There is no greater cause for us than this. Thus, we call it the fight of the century.

It is an obligation to look at the world of the future by interpreting, knowing and evaluating the kind of storm the world is being dragged into, how the international climate is getting rougher, that the U.S. and Europe have long lost the luxury of being the center of the world, how they have become aggressive because of this loss, that along with security and politics, capital and technology are also moving toward Asia, that the earth’s main axis is changing, that the Atlantic axis will never again find the chance to dominate the world alone and that this great fracture and activity is going to lead to an entirely different and surprising global power map.

There will no longer be permanent alliances. There will also be no more permanent friendships or enmities. We are going to see a staggering, changing, head-spinning activity of forces, and the country that ready for this rhythm, that is able to keep pace with it is going to remain standing. This is a relentless, intolerant war of power. Just as the U.S. and Europe has exhausted what it has to say to the rest of the world, they have also lost their credibility, reliability and reputation.

Hence, regardless of all the new alliances and fronts they build, they will be unsuccessful. The new front they formed in Turkey’s south through the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Israel and Egypt, which apparently targets Iran, but really aiming to “stop Turkey,” is also going to fail.

The very serious similarities in the West’s hostile attitude toward Russia and Turkey has captured our attention. A Western attempt aimed at dividing Russia once more and plundering its resources is clear now. Many great plans such as dividing this massive region into pieces, removing Russia from the equation, weakening the “Asia bloc” that is standing against the Atlantic alliance, and distracting China with India are on the table.

Like Russia, Turkey too feels a Western threat. As a matter of fact, this has gone much beyond a threat; internal interventions have been made, and when it didn’t work, siege plans started to be carried out. The West is currently openly attacking Turkey. This is why, similar to Russia, Turkey, instead of defense, has chosen to switch to combatting the threats in question on the open field. This is why our new approach in Syria is thus. And it will continue in this way.

Both Russia and Turkey are facing similar threats, they are forming similar shields of defense. I think that the Europe-Russia crisis is going to bring Ankara and Moscow closer. This is the way it needs to be. The two countries need to see the global-scale threats and help each other. It is clear that the East’s rise has begun and this is not valor. Take note that the West is in a period of stagnation, that the East is increasingly gaining power, and that this is a milestone in history.

The West is no longer going to be able to give anything to humanity. It is going to be able to offer nothing other than the madness of losing and dragging the human race to danger. From now on, we are going to see a U.S. and a few of its allies that do all this. This is going to further speed up their collapse. I think that humanity needs to take alarm against this danger.

Turkey should not stop anywhere after Afrin; it should not hesitate and show interest in distraction tactics. It will lose the moment it stops, and will never be able to start again. Asking questions such as, “Will we enter Manbij, what will happen to Tal Abyad, what will happen to Sinjar, can we reach Qandil” are now futile. In one of the harshest fronts of this great global fight, even the most infinitesimal weakness of defense will be fatal. We must act as fast as the speed of lightning and give no time or opportunity for this zone to be filled by foreign forces.

Of course we don’t need tension or a fight with the West. But while they are attacking us, while they are holding meeting after meeting with the “divided Turkey” maps in their hands, leaving ourselves to their mercy is destruction. Rapport with Russia in such a period is in our favor. Ankara-Moscow relations must be further improved.

Today and after today, Turkey’s fight, peace, friendship or enmity is not for a day. We are obliged to act with great claims that have been cultivated for centuries with a political mind and which will encompass the whole of the upcoming 21st century. We have to take big steps, march with major claims. The world of the future is going to have no mercy on those choosing to remain small.

I see the statement made in the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron saying, “Cooperation must be developed with Turkey in Syria” as a trap. Just as the U.S. and Europe are in a showdown with Russia, they are going to try every way to sabotage Turkey and Russia’s rapport. They have done this before. The downing of a Russian war jet by the hand of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) was such a plan.

Following this, they greatly harmed Turkey in Syria. Their “developing cooperation in Syria” is a similar scenario. Our country must avoid falling into this trap again. The moment we fall, forget continuing after Afrin, we will even lose both Afrin and Hatay.