No one in Siberia knows where Cyprus is

We will turn back to Cyprus tomorrow anyway. Let me at least take you to a different place today. I am sure you are sick and tired of listening to the same old arguments day after day.

The place I went was a part of Siberia, which was 5,000 kilometers from Turkey. It was a city called Novi Urengov in Western Siberia. Its population is about 80,000 and was founded by Gazprom 30 years ago.

Gazprom is a Russian giant.

Its job is to extract natural gas to sell both domestically and international, including to Turkey.

There are no cats, dogs, birds or greenery in Siberia. It is cold. Temperatures are between – 30 and – 45. Everything is frozen. There always is a strong wind. Everything is white. You cannot go outside to walk.

Gazprom has 28 cities and municipalities in Siberia. Around 1 million people work for them. They live in housing complexes built by Gazprom for them. It is not a life that is very comfortable, but they receive twice the amount average laborers receive in better climates (They get $1,000 instead of $500). Moreover, they don’t have to spend it on anything.

Children are thought "what does summer mean?" They are shown enclosed gardens to understand what effect summer has on nature.

Transportation to and from these centers is only through Gazprom’s helicopters or planes.

I told you it was different.

If you ask me, you should be happy with what you have. Some people make so many sacrifices to earn money for their families that it is unbelievable.

I would tell no lie by saying that they went all over Siberia, especially Novi Urengoy. If you have Gazprom’s private helicopter at your service, of course you will.

However, at one time, I thought I was freezing. I could not feel my hands. My ears had turned red and I could not talk.

I asked everybody I met about Cyprus. From the people of Gas cities to engineers working near natural gas shafts, I asked the same question. I wanted to know.

"Should the Annan plan be accepted? Should both Turkish and Greek Cypriots approve the plan?"

I will never forget the way they looked at me.

"Who’s Cyprus?"

"I am talking about the island of Cyprus."

"What happened there?"

"There is a referendum. Greeks and Turks will decide whether they want to join the EU together or stay as they are."

"Where is Cyprus?"

There were some who knew where Cyprus was and knew about the causes of the problem. However, they did not care what happened there.

The most important thing for them was to get away from Siberia and live a proper life. That’s all.

One couldn’t stop himself and said, "We are feeding Turkey." I could hear from his voice that he was very proud of this fact. There is only one topic at the place where the gas we use comes from. Gas.

There is nothing else.

That is the basis of Russia’s strength.

You also realize that you are faced with a giant called Gazprom.

I ask you to imagine. 159,000 kilometers of pipelines, 1 million people and 540 million meter-cubes of annual gas production. It is a state enterprise that sells one third of its production overseas, earning $16 billion a year.

Turkey was introduced to natural gas only recently. However, natural gas is the resource of the 21st century, close to toppling the dominance of oil. Within five to ten years, our entire industry will be working on natural gas.

There are other worlds apart from ours
All countries live with their own problems.

Just like us, everybody else also feels like they are the center of the world. They also believe that the entire world is interested in their problems. However, everyone has their own problems.

We have concentrated on the developments in Cyprus, the EU and the agenda of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). However, the world is so large and every nation is so busy solving its own problems that they don’t care about Turkey or Cyprus.

They see everything through their own problems.

Aren’t we the same?

We also don’t care what Germans, French or Americans think. We are not interested about the sufferings of the Palestinians, the war in Iraq or the civil strife tearing Afghanistan apart.

Trying to find a proper job, the money we earn or domestic developments dominate our interests.

As I was traveling around Siberia, I was thinking about these. When you are far from your home, you see things from a different perspective.

I will be back tomorrow and will be in the day-to-day battle to survive. My world will again change. I will stop thinking about what I saw in Siberia and will write about our daily squabbles.

I won’t be thinking about how cold it will be tomorrow.

I only have one recommendation.

Don’t be submerged in your daily affairs. Let it just be. Let Denktas say "NO." Let the Greek Cypriots reject the plan. Life takes us all somewhere.

Life is not something you should take too seriously.