Learn Turkish: Ha ağla ha gül, hiç tesir etmez. - Whether you cry or laugh, it has no effect at all.

The structure ha ... ha ... expresses indifference, meaning it makes no difference whether one thing happens or another. It frequently pairs with imperative verbs to create a snappy, general statement. You can literally read it as cry or laugh, it is the same.

Can I use other tenses with ha ... ha ... instead of the imperative?

Yes, it is very common to use the past tense or the aorist for specific situations, such as ha ağladın ha güldün for whether you cried or laughed. The bare imperative is used here because the sentence acts as a universal rule or proverb.

What is the difference between tesir etmek and etkilemek?

Tesir etmek is an older word of Arabic origin that means to have an effect or to make an impression. It is synonymous with the more modern etkilemek, but tesir etmek often feels a bit more formal, literary, or dramatic, which perfectly fits the tone of this sentence.

Why is the negative aorist tense etmez used here instead of the present continuous etmiyor?

The negative aorist etmez states a general, unchanging fact. The speaker is not just saying it is not having an effect right now, which would be etmiyor, but rather asserting that it never has any effect at all as an absolute rule.