The Afrin operation, along with the Euphrates Shield, is Turkey’s most serious geopolitical move. At a time when maps of the region are being redrawn, dreams of a new imperial order are on the agenda, and those who appeared to be allies until now are making plans to shrink Turkey, our country’s intervention in these maps, its activation of regional dynamics, declaring that this country’s security will be provided by itself alone, is proof that there is zero confidence left in “alliance circles.”

If Syria and Iraq’s maps are going to be shrunk, so will Turkey’s. This intention has become clear now. If another country in our region is divided, so will Turkey; this is the plan and it is certain. The will surrounding, closing in on our country’s entire southern border, the will and alliance trying to destabilize our country through terrorism and render it open to intervention has been intervened with the Euphrates Shield.

This intervention is being continued with the Afrin operation. The west wing, the Mediterranean gate of the siege map will be completely closed off with the Manbij operation. But hell will break loose in the east of the Euphrates, up to the Iranian border. The Western alliance will insist on this project that will strike four countries at once and regional resistance will display an extraordinary rage. In this sense, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), or Daesh, are the ends, the hitmen of the U.S.-Israel map project, and they are each a foreign threat.

Today, Turkey is fighting not only for itself, but for all of the countries in the region. It is fighting not only against terrorist organizations, but also against the “will” aiming to tear the region into shreds. Because the map planned to be formed along the Mediterranean-Iran line is not limited to sieging Turkey alone, it is the most important part of their plan to strike four countries at once; it is an invasion project.

Hence, the intervention is much beyond the scope of fighting terrorism, and it is a defense that will secure the future of the region; it is a sacrifice for the region. It is an intervention on map plans; it is an attempt to prevent those who drew the map of the region a century ago from dividing us a second time.

Therefore, the operation cannot be limited to Afrin alone – it shouldn’t. The area of intervention should be expanded from Manbij to Iraq. Even if you don’t believe it today, the time will come when you will see that we have no other choice but to do this. A safe line must be formed to secure Turkey’s entire southern border.

A kind of “Turkey shield,” a “defense line” must be built against their terror corridor plan. This is an essential future plan for our country. As long as the line in question is not closed off; as long as that “shield” is not built, the war will enter Turkey, and the Euphrates Shield and Afrin operation alone will not be enough to prevent this from happening.

The global political climate has become rough; countries have started to take position based entirely on their security showdowns. The world has not been in this situation since World War II. A showdown has peaked between center powers worldwide, from the Baltics to Asia Pacific shores. It is impossible to predict where and how this stress will erupt, but it certainly will.

At such a time, alliance relations will not be a guarantee for any country. Neither NATO, nor any other alliance relation provides any guarantee to Turkey as well. This has become obvious in the latest terror corridor plan. Hence, new circumstances have arisen and new positions are necessary. This is what our country is doing with the Afrin operation.

The north of the Aleppo-Mosul line is a region that must be considered entirely security-based for our country. No organization or foreign country’s presence can be allowed in this zone. All of the U.S.’s theories on the region have collapsed, proven to be lies and documented to be “hostile” against our country. That the U.S., working in cooperation with the PKK/PYD and Daesh, is targeting not only Syria and Iraq, but also Turkey is no longer a debate.

Any “cooperation or partnership” offer to come from the U.S. after this stage, is aimed at restricting and deceiving Turkey. These proposals are aimed at softening Turkey, buying time, opening room for the PKK-PYD and saving it. It is an attempt to confuse the political mind and veil secret plans with old alliances. After the July 15, 2016 attack, adopting an attitude against all these offers and suggestions is a national stance. It is saving the present and future of the country.

Any proposals and suggestions to come from now on will be aimed at limiting Turkey, at least to Afrin, preventing it from expanding to Manbij, and especially stopping it from crossing over to the east of the Euphrates. This is how the new game will be set. After everything that has happened, the area opened for offers must be completely sealed off. Because there is no example in the past of any country partnering up with a terrorist organization against an ally country.

Being positive about any offer, paving the way for it will be to mock this country’s political mind and play with this nation’s feelings and sensitivities. If any structure, individual or circle from among us is promoting such proposals, then they are actually a part of that big plan. They are working with them and carrying out an operation on Turkey.

While a mind that attempted to kill this country’s president on July 15, 2016 has so many terrorist records, it still being considered a regional “partner,” or an attempt in this direction is dangerous and ill intentioned. There is certainly another plan behind it.

Turkey, with the Afrin operation is conducting homeland defense. This defense can be carried out entirely with a national front or with an alliance. It is not something to be done through the PYD crypto, liberal-intelligent seeming declarations, anti-war cries or covert EU or U.S. funds.

This is something to be done with the soldiers standing watch on the borders during the country’s defense, the children of this land who are going on an operation without thinking about coming back, with those walking toward the bullets on the inside and in Syria, those who stood up against the tanks on the night of July 15, those who limit their words to this defense instead of making fancy statements,  and with those who speak from the land of this nation and the heart of the people, not with those who gain power from the West.

Turkey has built a new resistance line. What it needs to do from now on is to strengthen this line, prevent it from being weakened. Since their intentions have become clear, while terrorists or any other force is increasingly becoming a greater threat, any offer brought to the table by the U.S. will be the sign of new July 15s and new “terror zones.”

Every time our country takes determined steps, someone from both among us and from the outside takes action, tries to weaken the national axis, to confuse the people’s mind and to restrain Turkey. Hence, it is now very important be on guard toward the threat in question.

What we need to do is to intervene in map changes with our defense lines, based on our own definition of threats, closely follow the regional and global showdown of powers and solidify our position.

When we do this, we are going to see that neither the U.S. nor any other country, neither the PKK nor any other terrorist organization will not be able to hold on there; they will regress and all their claims will be neutralized. This force is going to spoil their game. Because the shameless threats they make are going to crash into the Anatolian defense and be neutralized.

Additionally, note that Iran’s opposition to the operation is “opportunism,” and that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) opposition is their placing trust in the U.S. and Israel. In 2018, expect a new explosion in Iran and serious crises along the Saudi Arabia-Iran line. That is when they will understand the criticalness of the situation, but it will be too late.

Turkey has started the great historic showdown with these strides and become itself again after a century. Its claims and strength are also great now. So are its goals and plans. Because these claims and plans are part of the gene that made it both Seljukian and Ottoman. We’re standing in the right place of history; we have the most expansive area of movement given to us by the global conjuncture.

Then, we are going to continue on our path. Then, we are going to further strengthen the great march. Then, we are going to tear up all the map drafts, and spoil their plans 100 years later. Then, we are going to take away their chance of giving this country advice and establishing their own order in this country. Then, we are going to build a “Turkey shield” and further grow this country in spite of those trying to shrink it.

This is a rough struggle. Don’t say that Afrin is a tiny place; it is an intervention that is squashing multinational plans. We are starting a new awakening tradition for the region through these interventions. This is how we are destroying both external and internal operation areas.

Today, we stand in the same position as we did in Çanakkale. That is exactly where we are.