Will 2016 go down as one of the worst years in history? Is it the year that ‘jumped the shark’? Is it our annus horribilis? A glance at the news might make you think so.
Last night the Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, was assassinated here in Ankara. In Berlin, Germany, a truck ploughed through visitors to a Christmas market killing at least 12 and injuring many more. There was also an attack on a mosque in Zurich, Switzerland. Meanwhile the carnage continues in Syria with bus conveys sent by humanitarian organisations being attacked while waiting to evacuate families from the war zone in eastern Aleppo. Oh and the Electoral College just confirmed one of the most unpopular President-elects in US history. This is just one day. One shitty day in the year that was 2016.
Here in Turkey 2016 was the year that its citizens endured a failed coup that left more than 300 people dead and over 2000 injured. Three weeks before that suicide bombers attacked Istanbul Ataturk Airport killing 41 and injuring more than 230 people. This is just one of over 30 terrorist attacks in Turkey in 2016 (not including rocket attacks being launched from Syria across the border by ISIL militants).
Around the world terrorism raises its ugly head time and time again with attacks in France, Belgium, the United States of America, Germany, Afghanistan, Iraq, Thailand and Indonesia just to name a few. Thousands of people have lost their lives with scores more injured all for a cause that was not designed for hate.
2016 was also the year that that the US was supposed to get its first woman President but instead they got a right royal goose. The UK decided to do a Brexit and exit and NATO is imploding before us.
We saw countries close their borders to refugees all around the world. The US wants to build a wall. Europe is showing everyone the door and Australia is treating asylum seekers like prisoners locking them on tiny islands and forgetting about them.
But the Syrian war, now entering its sixth year, is the war that only gets worse. To date it has claimed nearly half a million lives and left millions of others devastated. Men, women and children are trying to escape but have nowhere to go (due to the aforementioned border closures). There is the stench of death all around. Needless suffering. Hospitals are being targeted with barrel bombs and children are being used as human shields. Right now in eastern Aleppo whole families are being rounded up and executed and all of us have been moved to tears at the sight of children being pulled from the rubble or more recently being operated on in Syrian hospitals without anaesthetic. Syria is under siege and there is no end in sight with foreign powers – including the US, Russia, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia – with their own agendas all wanting a piece of the pie.
And we lost Snape.
So after this annus horribilis, jumping the shark year of bok what do I want for 2017? Peace. Just peace.
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janeyinmersin 
Amen to that. Wishing you an uneventful (no bombs, no terrorist attacks and no rants from a certain president to make matters worse) Christmas and New Year from Eskisehir.
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Mutlu Yıllar!
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Agree totally. I am so sickened by events this year. We are planning a very quiet Christmas – neither of us are that bothered about it and it’s our first without the kids. It’s more about having some time out together, reflecting and gearing up for the year ahead…..which I truly hope is a better one. Wishing you and yours health and happiness, with love from the Turquoise Coast xx
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With all the shit that settles around us we put on our boots, pull up our trousers and keep going in the hope of something better to come. We look at all that is going on and think we can’t do anything about it – but we can it is so simple…all we have to do is show respect, compassion and kindness and teach our children respect, compassion and kindness…not that difficult is it…
Happy New Year to you and yours, from me and mine..
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In a odd way I’m glad I lost my soul mate in the middle of 2016 – he was not an optimist by nature and I think the events of the last 6 months of 2016 would have upset him so much that it is probably best that the cancer got their first – weird or what?
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I understand this more than you think. It is difficult to watch the news or open a newspaper these days. We are surrounded by negativity today.
I am sorry for your loss this year. Başınız sağolsun.
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I’m sorry to say this is one of your best pieces of writing I’ve had the honour to read. I say sorry because the topic is so awful.
There are only 11 more days of the 2016 left. I’d like to think we can get through them without further atrocities happening, but I doubt it.
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I have no words…….You have said them all so eloquently.
Wishing you Heaven in your Heart and Starlight in your Soul, every good wish, for a peaceful Christmas and a Healthy, Happy, 2017.
Jan
PS thank you for all of your VERY informative, varied and sometimes hilarious posts in 2016.
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I was surprised to see your name in my inbox as you’d said you were taking a break. What a return! All our sentiments, perfectly expressed.
Here’s another soul praying for peace and believing that love will overome and light will banish this terrible darkness. Like Kelly said, we can all do something.
Wishing you a wonderful 2017, and beyond.
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Hope 2017 is better for you.
What people don’t understand about the USA is that we’re a Republic, not a democracy. When the president is elected, the states elect him or her and the system is designed so that two states (like California and New York) don’t get to decide who is going to be the next president.
It has been a trying year for terrorist attacks. We have yet another would-be world conqueror trying to make their mark (ISIS). Unfortunately, it seem to be a never ending, age-old cycle. Can you imagine what it must have been like in Asia and Europe when Genghis Khan rampaged, ravaged and conquered much of the continent? Or how Native American’s felt when the Europeans decimated their population in North and South America?
That doesn’t make it right, it just shows that this isn’t a new thing.
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Allah yardımcıları olsun inşallah 😞😞😞😞😞
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