OPINION : WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE WITH THE EFFORT WASTED TO PERSUADE AUSTRIA?
Baris Sanli , JTW Columnist

Journal of Turkish Weekly
Oct 3 2005

After long hours of meetings and news, now I am heading back to my
home. The two days and the stress caused by Austria to my psychology
has been destructive on me. I do not expect an official apology from
Austria, but they literally wasted my time with their five star,
gold medalist stubbornness. Now everyone is happy, as usual except me.

But how about the time, diplomacy and the effort given to persuade
Austria? It could have been used for more important causes. Now
what is different, for two days they just tested the nerves of
European Foreign Ministers and most importantly me. For what? Just
to turn a historic chance to a political circus. Some may say this
is how diplomacy works, but I will call it “this is how diplomacy is
wasted”. After all, the situation is no different than 1st October.

So I decided to write a list of things to be done with the resources
wasted to persuade Austria. Here is my list as a product of my ruined
psychology, enjoy it:

– I could have written annoying articles to annoy Armenians.

– My Armenian readers could have written more annoying emails to me
to annoy me.

– I could have been treated from my mental problems.

– Even North Korea can start the accession talks with EU with this
much of effort – I would like to add Antarctica to previous article.

– and Zimbabwe – Bush could be teached to find the Iraq on the
world map.

– Blair could be persuaded to leave his place to Gordon Brown.

– Sarkozy can be sent to space.(For peaceful purposes like the first
French president to be to enjoy space) – Austrians can be informed
about the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

– Greek Cyprus could be persuaded to UN talks.

– Karen Hughes can win the hearts of Turkish women. (I have never
ever achieved such a thing) – Washington Times could be converted
into democratic and open minded newspaper.

– Usame Bin Laden could be persuaded that killing innocents is not
a way to deal with problems.

– Serbians could be teached that Bosnian Muslims are not bad –
Poverty problem could have been solved.

– Third world could have been transformed into a bunch of Silicon
valleys.

– The whole world could be informed that Turkey is not a desert and
is not a place where people use camels for transportation and Turks
are not barbarians, it was Conan the Barbarian.

– And I could have been persuaded not to write any more articles in
this aggressive tone.