MEHMET ALİ BİRAND > Fighting genocide calls for radical steps

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MEHMET ALİ BİRAND > Fighting genocide calls for radical steps
The “genocide” resolution in France is only a signal flare. It is the tip of the iceberg that will hit Turkey in 2015.
Why 2015?
It is the 100th anniversary of the Armenians’ genocide claims. Note this date. You will see that a major storm will break. The French vote is only a prelude. They are preparing to blow like a hurricane in coming years.
France’s stance is very much domestic politics. Sarkozy is planning to win the Armenian votes in 2012 presidential elections. This stance is in accordance with the French President’s policy to exclude Turkey from Europe. In other words, it is not a surprise development.
What do we do?
As always, we are trying to prevent what is coming by harsh warning letters and threat-filled statements. We are sending delegations to France trying to influence every segment. Next, we will temporarily withdraw our ambassador and maybe there will be calls to boycott French goods. We will bring forward our significance for Europe, our strategic value, but nothing will change.
These methods do not serve their purpose anymore. Moreover, they will be more useless toward 2015.
We are underestimating 2015
Turkey has lost its struggle against the genocide. For almost 100 years, first it buried its head in the sand, did not discuss it, it has even left its own society ignorant.
For all those years, it was not able make the international community believe that “there was no genocide.” It did not go beyond a total denial.
We have missed that train. The international conscience has accepted the genocide and believed the Armenians.
Armenians on the other hand are preparing to drop the final curtain in 2015. Starting from the United States Congress, they plan to act in every direction to tag the genocide on Turkey.
If Turkey is to fight with traditional and far from convincing methods as it did in the past, then it will not be able to prevent this tsunami. These reactions are not effective. Extreme reactions cause our country to be isolated and also cause economic and political damage.
Only bold steps can save us from this accusation. The way to disperse the genocide wind passes through launching of new “initiatives” that will surprise the world public.
By publicly apologizing for mutual losses and taking those steps to activate relations with Yerevan, we can only hold on to the edge of the genocide cliff. Otherwise, 2015 will very much batter Turkey.

Who is doing what in Ankara?

A question I am very curious to hear the answer is this: “Is there a planned operation in Ankara to mitigate the losses of the coming 2015 earthquake?”

If not, be sure that we will feel the pain immensely. Actually, we are already late, but again, some things can be done. Let’s not forget, the more we postpone taking precautions, the more it will become expensive and cause risky decisions for us to escape from the trap.

For once, let’s act like a European, not like a Turk.

We cannot scare Sarkozy by saying, “You have also massacred the Algerians”

During the cold war era between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, Washington’s most influential propaganda weapon was Moscow’s human rights violations. Intellectuals exiled to Siberia, harsh punishments for the slightest criticism would be publicized to the world with a flourish of trumpets and the Soviet regime would be dragged through the mud. The counter defense of the Soviets was, “You have killed the Indians.” Russian newspapers would speak to Indian families, they would try to blame the U.S. but this would have no effect. Nobody paid attention; because the tactic was wrong.

This example resembles our situation in recent days. All of us, as we get angry at the French, start saying, “You have killed the Algerians.”

Yes, true, the French history is also bloody. But this reasoning will not save us. It will also not frighten France.
This step by Sarkozy is only a foreshock of the coming major tremor. 2015 is the 100th anniversary of Armenian incidents and hell will break.
To counterbalance 2015, threats such as “we will put an embargo, we will withdraw our ambassador,” will not work or affect anybody.
The only way to draw the attention of the world public passes from taking bolder steps.
December/21/2011

V.V