Abkhazia–Turkey relations

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]

Turkish-Abkazian relations

Abkhazia
Turkey

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, Turkey officially 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]

The importance of the Turkish factor in Abkhaz policy was demonstrated by the first visit by President Bagapsh to Ankara in April 2011.[5]

Turkey's ambassador to Georgia, Murat Buhran, stated in 2014 that Turkey and Abkhazia had established a special group to deepen “bilateral” ties.[6]

In 2016, Abkhazia joined sanctions imposed by Russia on Turkey.[7][8]

Trade

Today, Turkey is Abkhazia's second-most important trade partner with about 18 percent of Abkhazia's trade turnover.[6]

See also
  • Muhajir (Caucasus)

References
  1. Barçin Yinanç (3 September 2009). "Turkey squeezed once again between Georgia, Abkhazia". hurriyetdailynews.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013.
  2. The Jamestown Foundation (24 September 1996). "ABKHAZIAN ACCESS TO TURKEY CURBED". Monitor. 2 (177). Archived from the original on 11 May 2019.
  3. "Shamba: Abkhazia establishes relations with Turkey". Georgia Times. 2009-06-11. Archived from the original on 29 May 2012.
  4. Hasan Kanbolat (17 September 2009). "Turkey-Abkhazia relations after Çeviköz". abkhazworld.com. Archived from the original on 12 December 2016.
  5. 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).
  6. Vasili Rukhadze (1 October 2015). "Defying Georgia, Turkey Gradually Cultivates its Influence in Separatist Abkhazia". jamestown.org. Archived from the original on 12 December 2016.
  7. "Sokhumi Publishes List of Sanctions Against Turkey". Civil Georgia. 19 January 2016. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  8. Andrea, Weiss; Yana, Zabanova (December 2016). "Georgia and Abkhazia caught between Turkey and Russia: Turkey's changing relations with Russia and the West in 2015-2016 and their impact on Georgia and Abkhazia" (PDF). SWP Comments 54/2016. Deutschen Initiative für Netzwerkinformation. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 2018.
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