Abkhazia–Turkey relations

Turkish-Abkazian relations

Abkhazia
Turkey

Abkhazia–Turkey relations refers to the relations between Abkhazia and Turkey. Although Turkey has not recognized Abkhazia's independence and regards it as de jure part of Georgia, the two governments reportedly have secret ties.[1]

Overview

On 22 September 1996, Turkey announced that residents of Abkhazia would no longer be allowed to travel to Turkey on Soviet-era identification documents, and would instead have to obtain Georgian passports.[2]

In July, 2009, Abkhazian Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba said that the Abkhazian government has certain contacts with the government of Turkey; negotiations on resumption of air and sea communication are being held.[3]

However, since Turkey does not want to antagonize its neighbor and important trading partner Georgia of which Abkhazia is de jure part of, Turkey maintains a strict trade embargo on Abkhazia.[1]

Several Turkish ships heading to Abkhazia have been seized by Georgian naval forces in international waters due to the Georgian sea blockade of Abkhazia.[1]

In September 2009, the Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Ünal Çeviköz went to the Abkhaz capital of Sukhum, where he met with Abkhaz officials. This was the first visit to Abkhazia of a foreign national diplomat since the August 2008 war.[4]

Today, Turkey is Abkhazia's second-most important trade partner with about 18 percent of Abkhazia’s trade turnover.[5]

Turkey’s ambassador to Georgia, Murat Buhran, stated in 2014 that Turkey and Abkhazia had established a special group to deepen “bilateral” ties.[5]

The importance of the Turkish factor in Abkhaz policy was demonstrated by the first visit by President Bagapsh to Ankara in April 2011.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Barçin Yinanç: Turkey squeezed once again between Georgia, Abkhazia, hurriyetdailynews.com 3 September 2009.
  2. ↑ The Jamestown Foundation (24 September 1996). "ABKHAZIAN ACCESS TO TURKEY CURBED.". Monitor. 2 (177). Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  3. ↑ "Shamba: Abkhazia establishes relations with Turkey". Georgia Times. 2009-06-11. Retrieved 2009-08-28.
  4. ↑ Hasan Kanbolat: Turkey-Abkhazia relations after Çeviköz, abkhazworld.com 17 September 2009.
  5. 1 2 Vasili Rukhadze: Defying Georgia, Turkey Gradually Cultivates its Influence in Separatist Abkhazia, jamestown.org 1 October 2015.
  6. ↑ Thomas Frear: The foreign policy options of a small unrecognised state: the case of Abkhazia, in: Caucasus Survey, Vol. 1 (2014), No. 2, pp. 83-107 (here: p: 93).
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