The million-dollar question, is this: Will the PKK manage to make tough decisions in 2013Â’s Turkey, where the tutelage regime is almost completely gone?

Palestinian President Mahmoud AbbasÂ’ visit was a quid pro quo for the active role Turkey played during the voting process.

The United States (US) and the West wait to see clearly who will win and when in Syria. While waiting, however, they lose both in Syria and in the region.

Kemalism has maintained its course through a kind of political reincarnation and via different groups of elites. Today, we face a similar picture under several headings, from the Syrian revolt to the solution of the Kurdish question.

As Turkey suffers century-old political issues, the main opposition Republican PeopleÂ’s Party (CHP) spends its political energy over inner-party conflicts.

If the PKK turns into a political actor and gives way to legal political channels, Turkey with this century-old political energy will not only guarantee social peace in a short period of time but also strengthen economic and political stability.

Turkey needs to draw lessons from the past and take necessary steps to facilitate the process.

Just as universities cannot be the places where students resort and consecrate violence; universities are public places where one cannot limit students and academicsÂ’ right to protest.

The statements of government circles, new initiatives taken by the CHP (Republican PeopleÂ’s Party) and the interview with Leyla Zana among others boosted hopes once again.

Europe—which shaped the world during the colonial period and created a dominant discourse for military, economy and politics—is today fighting for its very survival.

Pre-new constitution period is an appropriate time to discuss the disadvantages of the current political system and to pursue the quest for a new political system.

While Turkey kept its distance from the countries in the region, Western countries, notably the U.S., shaped the Middle East.

Özhan: In the aftermath of the U.S. occupation of Iraq, actors in the region started to identify themselves with ethnic and sectarian differences and rights. Developments in the region do not bode well. However, Turkey insistently supports democracy.

Turkish foreign policy has entered a new phase, and it is highly possible that this phase will prove to be a breaking point.