United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s recent call for an ‘urgent humanitarian ceasefire in the Middle East’ received support from experts. Lecturer Dr. Kazım Dalkıran said, “Considering Turkey's proposed guarantor agreement to prevent the continuation of the war there, it would be beneficial to make preparations for the appropriate deployment of an international peacekeeping force to the region.”
Dalkıran: “Sufficient support for air space control and security for the elements going to the region must be guaranteed by international organizations, especially the United Nations. Turkey can successfully manage such operations.”
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently called for an ‘urgent humanitarian ceasefire in the Middle East’ to alleviate the terrible suffering of people.
Lecturer Dr. Kazım Dalkıran from the Department of History, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Üsküdar Üniversitesi, explained the importance of ceasefires during wartime and historically provided information about the role of ceasefires in wars. Dalkıran also touched upon how a ceasefire could be achieved between Israel and Palestine.
Stating that a ceasefire is an interim transition period in which parties agree not to fire in any way during war or conflicts at various levels, Lecturer Dr. Kazım Dalkıran said, “A ceasefire is an opportunity for mediators to work without parties harming each other until an agreement is signed.”
The ceasefire between South Korea and North Korea is still ongoing
Stating that a ceasefire in wars is an opportunity for parties to gather around the table and start negotiations as soon as possible to minimize the damage of war, Lecturer Dr. Kazım Dalkıran gave examples of some important ceasefires and continued:
“A ceasefire was declared between South Korea and North Korea, and a temporary border was announced, with this ceasefire process still ongoing. The Armistice of Mudros, declared during World War I, was the declaration of a ceasefire between the Ottoman Empire and the other parties. However, during the ceasefire, the existing borders were crossed by the British and French, and these lands were taken from the Ottoman Empire.
It is important for parties to meticulously abide by the ceasefire. When Azerbaijan gained military superiority in the Karabakh region, Armenia declared a ceasefire to gain time but later wanted to continue the conflict. In this situation, the Azerbaijani side continued its operation to capture the territorial section that would fulfill the purpose of the war.”
War in residential areas harms the civilian population
Lecturer Dr. Kazım Dalkıran, also touching upon the effects of ceasefires on warring parties and the civilian population, continued his words as follows:
“In cases where war begins without the mutual initiative of both sides, it is important to declare a ceasefire as soon as possible to prevent harm to civilians. Conducting operations in residential areas can cause significant damage to civilians and infrastructure. Hospitals, schools, and other facilities in use are being damaged. To prevent this, achieving a ceasefire and conducting operations away from residential areas become crucial.
Since the warring parties will have limited opportunities to provide aid to their own civilians and the civilians of other parties in the war zone, the involvement of aid organizations will become important. Due to the warring parties allocating their resources to combat elements, it is not possible to allocate resources to civilians during wartime. As operations also affect the rear-area security process, parties may sometimes restrict the movement of civilians to prevent them from being harmed.”
The importance of ceasefires in peace negotiations
Lecturer Dr. Kazım Dalkıran also expressed the following views on how ceasefires contribute to opening diplomatic avenues for solutions:
“Since there will be limited opportunities for meetings and peace talks while the firing continues, it provides an important opportunity for the diplomats of the parties to come together and agree not to advance beyond the existing lines. When the parties' aim is to gain more land, ensuring that the ceasefire does not harm communities and making diplomatic decisions will be easier after the ceasefire.”
The importance of ceasefires for humanity and world peace
Emphasizing the importance of achieving a lasting ceasefire to prevent parties from harming each other again, as peace agreements can take a long time to complete, Lecturer Dr. Kazım Dalkıran continued:
“Ceasefires can be temporary or permanent. The United Nations Security Council can facilitate a ceasefire between the parties as soon as possible, thereby curbing the animosity of countries' politicians and peoples towards each other, ensuring that the ceasefire benefits world peace and humanity. The saying 'War is murder unless absolutely necessary' should be understood to mean that initiating a war where civilians could be harmed is unacceptable under any circumstances.”
Turkey's proposed guarantor agreement
Lecturer Dr. Kazım Dalkıran emphasized the importance of having plans ready beforehand for the swift delivery of humanitarian aid in the event of a ceasefire between Palestine and Israel, stating, “However, to prevent the continuation of the war there, it would also be beneficial to make preparations for the appropriate deployment of an international peacekeeping force to the region, taking into account Turkey's proposed guarantor agreement for the implementation of previously adopted decisions in accordance with United Nations agreements.”
Hostage exchange could be a reason for a ceasefire
Lecturer Dr. Kazım Dalkıran, also noting that the exchange of hostages could be a reason for a ceasefire in Palestine, concluded his words as follows:
“For the ceasefire to be genuinely implemented and for parties not to turn it into an opportunity, it is crucial for the international community to act quickly on this matter, and for countries with no vested interests in the region to make preparations and rapidly deploy there. During this process, ensuring sea-based deployments is also important for the security of the operation. To overcome the potential congestions in Egypt, countries with sea-based deployment capabilities and Turkey's recently built TCG Anadolu ship can be considered as elements to be used for this purpose.
Since the financial dimension of this support operation will be prominent, establishing a fund also gains importance. Sufficient support for air space control and security for the elements going to the region must be guaranteed by international organizations, especially the United Nations. Turkey can successfully manage such operations.”