Upon landing in Sarajevo in the early hours of the morning, the first thing I did was to go to Bašcaršija market rather than my hotel. The market was not busy yet, but under a light drizzle of rain, the smell of coffee permeated the streets. I gazed at cobblestone lanes, coppersmiths, broom sellers, "burek" sellers, jewelers and the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque. I felt like I was walking in the Bursa of my childhood.In fact, the Ottoman atmosphere our cities have lost is alive and well in the Balkans. This is especially true in Sarajevo. Visiting Sarajevo is definitely an astonishing experience for Turks. This is due, in part, to the ability of visiting Turks to personally witness how extensive Ottoman cultural and historical influence was.Turkish visitors are also detached from the narrow nationalist perspectives of information in books and are introduced to a different type of cultural bond instead. When walking away from Bašcaršija toward Ferhadija Avenue, you are also met by the traces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Indeed, so much so that you may think that you are walking on the streets of Vienna. Sarajevo: surrounded by the remains of two empires, sideby- side. At one time, both were considered "sick." Once they collapsed, however, it was realized that the real "sickness" emitted from Europe's nationstates.For Bosnians today, support given by contemporary Turkey provides a very important sense of security. However, they are also worried about the strengthening Bosnian political elites taking advantage of Turkey's support. At a time of skyhigh unemployment, an economic crisis and illegal activities in state institutions, it is hard for one to smile. But this is exactly what the Bosnians are achieving. Achievements by the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TİKA) and the Yunus Emre Institute are commendable. Education is of key importance and the approval of Turkish as an elective course at schools has been an important development.There is also the help given by certain Turkish foundations, institutions and municipalities. However, how much good such support they can provide is open to question. Bosnians complain about these kinds of support being simply superficial or not much more than showing off. Bosnians want private sector investments that increase employment opportunities and those that will ensure their children receive a good education. Building a 5,000-capacity sports hall in a town of 15,000, or removing the beautiful cobblestones from streets to replace them with concrete does not help them.These days, Bosnians are focused on the general elections scheduled to take place on Oct. 12 - the seventh general election after the Dayton Agreement. The possibility that the election rhetoric might get out of hand worries them. The Bosnia-Herzegovina Election Board has warned candidates against the use of hate speech. Those who are guilty of hate speech will be fined 10,000 KM (TL 14,606) and those who persist in such rhetoric will be removed as candidates.Among the Bosnians I talked to, not a single one thought the vote would bring prosperity. Why? The real cause is the Dayton Agreement that founded the country. It was not a solution, but a "Band-Aid" placed over Bosnia's problems. The country, consisting of two entities, ten cantons and one autonomous region, cannot be governed effectively.The Bosnian's belief in politics as a force for good is eroding. The best thing Turkey can do for Bosnia-Herzegovina would be to re-evaluate the Dayton Agreement through discussion with international platforms. The only way to prevent the peace from being constantly on the rocks and ensure the country becomes governable is this. I am sure that Turkey, with Ahmet Davutoğlu as the prime minister, will try to do just that in the near future.