
Sunday, July 06, 2008

Relations with Georgia

Turkey which recognized the independence of Georgia a short time after it was declared, took several steps to improve relations in every field.

Turkey said many times that it was in favor of a peaceful solution to ethnical problems that Georgia had. Turkey also continued to extend humanitarian aid to Georgian and Abkhazian sides in 2003 as it did earlier.

Three Turkish people are working in Organization for European Security and Cooperation's (OSCE) representative office in Georgia and five military observers are also working in the U.N. Observer Mission in Georgia.

Turkey's military training support for Georgia continues under the military cooperation agreements. Georgian soldiers also had missions under the body of Turkish peace unit in Kosovo this year.

Turkish Airlines (THY) flights to Tbilisi were prevented nearly for six months as it was claimed that THY had debts from the past. Some Turkish ships sailing in Georgian territorial waters without permission and initiatives to make maritime trade with Abkhazia caused reactions in Tbilisi. Those issues can be considered important problems between Turkey and Georgia in 2003.

Complaints of Turkish drivers who make highway transportation to Georgia or via Georgia to Azerbaijan about ''Georgian police and officials using illegal tariff'' for drivers also continued in 2003.

Installation of railway between the two countries was among issues which were brought to the agenda in 2003, but no concrete step was taken on the issue. There has not been any important development in 2003 in problem of Meskhetian Turks who were expelled from Georgia during the period of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Tbilisi had committed to undertake completing return of these people to their homeland.

Problems between Georgia and Russia reveals Georgia's need to Turkey for its economic development.

Problematic relations between Georgia and Russia, and close relations of Russia and Iran with Armenia, strengthen Turkey's reasons to develop relations with Georgia that was a transit country in giant projects such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE) along with Azerbaijan.

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