!âJĞellspacing="0" ce�ÿ� COME, LET'S TURN A NEW PAGE‹

We are stuck with the Armenian genocide allegations now. The Armenians worked hard at it, while we remained indifferent. In the end, we were branded by international public opinion. Since we can’t be at odds with everyone, we must make a new beginning. We should confront the genocide allegations with a brand new attitude.

Çhould confront the genocide allegations with a brand new attitude.

It is over. Let's not fool ourselves. We will never get rid of this genocide label unless we change our attitude. The Committee has passed the genocide bill. Next month, it will be on the House of Representatives agenda and it will go through with even more ease. Despite the unbinding nature of this project, we are hurt by the Committee's approval. We are badly disheartened. This has confirmed our belief that American internal politics are run by spineless, ignorant people with little minds. Our anger and reactions are completely justified. However, we must not forget that it is not the end of the world. On the contrary, we have to live with international truths. The world belongs to the richer and the stronger. Let's make our reaction felt, but let's also use our minds. Let's protect our long-term interests. Our country has been wounded. The Armenians have scored another point in this game. However, all is not finished. Here's my suggestion…Let's take the initiative from now on. Let's do something beyond shouting and yelling. Let's not waste all our energy on punishing the American politician. This time, let's act with our minds. Let's remain cool-headed. Let's calculate the odds and make plans. Let's turn the Armenian game upside down. Until today, we first chose to ignore the genocide allegations. Then, we tried to resist being cornered. Since we failed to make real efforts to prove how right we were, nobody heard our voice. All we did was watch and get angry. Let's do the opposite now. Let's get beyond genocide allegations by using diplomatic tricks and taking intelligent steps, instead of making do with documentaries or flimsy books and leaflets. Let's get rid of our complexes and let's take daring decisions. Let's get rid of articles like the 301 of the Turkish Penal Code. Let's convince our Azebeijani brothers. We've seen how useless our past policies were and how they've collapsed in every sense. Let's learn our lesson and emerge from these events with a fresh attitude. 

  Come, let's discuss genocide…To make a new beginning or to turn a fresh page entails many hardships. We shall have to broach subjects that we have always avoided before out of pride or distaste. If we don't take this step now, we shall find ourselves in worse situations in the future. It will be much more difficult then.Like human relations, international relations also depend on timing more than anything else.  If you leave until tomorrow what you must do today, if you delay a step that you should take now, tomorrow will be too late. You will then have to double or triple your efforts to deal with the same issue. This is how the current situation looks for Turkey. It will either adopt a brand new attitude or face a much worse situation in the future. It will either completely change its politics or continue to mark time and lose.In foreign affairs, a new set of highly credible policies have to replace the present ones. If we don't want to be permanently branded with the genocide label, we must do more than saying, “There was no genocide.” We must be bring out the truth about what really happened and refrain from hiding anything. A second important step will be to replace the term genocide with a new word or a sentence that really qualifies the events and to insist on using it. We must organise conferences and seminars directed at Western universities. In internal politics, the change must be headed by the creation of a milieu where we can discuss the events of 1915 without complexes.Turkish society must get rid of article 301 in order to be able to discuss that period in detail without fear. Turkish society must no longer be threatened by beatings or protests for thinking differently.  We must really open all our archives. If we have nothing to hide, we must stop playing small games and we should encourage general transparency. If Turkey can do all that, its international credibility will rise. Our suggestions to form a mutual commission will then be taken seriously. The Armenians will no longer be able to avoid working with us. If we continue to do nothing despite all that's happened until now, we will not be able get rid of this label, no matter what we do. Neither objections, nor closing our borders to countries that accept the genocide will save us. In the end, others will start beating on our doors in other ways…