Tricky part of the Armenian initiative

The opposition should lend an ear to the following statement by Gürsel Tekin, the head of the İstanbul provincial branch of the Republican People's Party (CHP): "If Turkey becomes democratic and if the Kurdish issue is settled, I assure you, Turkey's great potential will come out. ... Whoever or whichever party solves this national issue will be etched in history."

Nevertheless, the government should keep in mind that managing so many initiatives properly will require extraordinary effort. Just have a look at the confusion about which name to use to address the Kurdish issue. During the latest speech by Interior Minister Beşir Atalay on the issue, I noticed that three TV channels broadcasting it live gave the initiative different names: "the Kurdish initiative" or "the democratic initiative" or "the brotherhood and peace initiative."

Moreover, the government should also refrain from giving the general public the false perception that such complicated issues can be solved easily and in a short time.

Another important point is that such a challenging issue cannot be readily solved while the country's politics remain extremely politicized. It is already a good development in that the National Intelligence Organization (MİT), the military, the police and other state organizations support the process. But something should be done to make sure that the opposition, too, is involved in it.

Returning to our hot topic, the Armenian initiative, the goodwill of those who devise and implement it is unquestionable. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu dreams of turning our disorderly region into a peaceful basin. The fact that he had to address questions about the Armenian initiative during a trip to ease tension between Iraq and Syria is a sign of his sincerity. During an interview he gave to the private NTV channel in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), he referred to World Peace Day and explained how a peace that is not comprehensive, as seen in the case of the Israeli-Syrian conflict, will be very fragile. It is hard to effect a reconciliation between Israel and Syria while Gaza is victimized.

Likewise, we cannot think of the Armenian initiative independently of the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territory. I cannot speak about other initiatives, but the success of the Armenian initiative is dependent on Karabakh. And Azerbaijan is perfectly entitled to demand that its sister country Turkey not open the border before this occupation is terminated.

The Turkish officials I spoke to say that Baku is informed about the process, that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has discussed it with Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev and that a Foreign Ministry undersecretary has visited Baku to explain the details of the protocol. Nevertheless, the preliminary statements made from Baku about the initiative remind us of the process we experienced back in April. Yerevan's statement that "Karabakh is not a prerequisite" adds to the doubts felt by our Azerbaijani sisters and brothers.

For this reason, everyone should understand the tricky part of the Armenian initiative. The tricky part is not the signing of the protocols concerning the recognition of borders, the opening of border gates or the establishment of a commission of historians, but the entry into force of these protocols. If psychologies can be managed, the matter is about giving a chance to peace with goodwill. Thanks to these protocols, the issue will be discussed in both countries up through Oct. 14. Thanks to these protocols, Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan, who had refused to come to Turkey, will come to watch the soccer game between the national teams of the two countries. The protocols will be initialed and the legal approval process will start when they will be sent to Parliament for final approval. If a positive development occurs with respect to the Karabakh issue, Parliament will approve it, and if not, it will be shelved away as was the case with the opening of Turkish ports to Greek Cypriots.

To refuse to establish dialogue if the occupation in Karabakh is not terminated is an easy option for Ankara, but one without benefit. Obviously, this does not help Turkey or Azerbaijan in the least. Now, Turkey is experimenting with the idea of helping Armenia to reconcile with Baku by not closing its doors in advance. Davutoğlu is telling his US, French and Russian counterparts that they should provide assistance for the settlement of the Karabakh issue if they really want the Armenian issue to be solved. This matter should be correctly understood lest we return to where we started.