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| Roundtable Meeting at Georgia |
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| News From CAP |
 Georgian political analysts, NGO representatives and some opposition politicians gathered at a round table meeting on Nov 16 to discuss relations between Georgia and Turkey and Turkey’s role in the Caucasus region. The meeting was organised by Malkhaz Gulashvili, President of The Georgian Times Media Holding, in an attempt to forge his conception about building peace in the Caucasus. Mahmut Kochak, President of the Ankara-based Centre for Alternative Policy, came to Georgia specially to participate in the round table, meet Georgian politicians and become familiar with the Georgian situation on the spot.Mahmut Kochak stressed that Turkey supports Georgia’s territorial integrity and elaborated on how peace in the Caucasus region is important for it. He downplayed the concerns of Georgian analysts that the latest thaw in Turkey-Armenia relations could undermine harmony in the region. “The normalisation of ties between Turkey and Armenia is a step towards building peace in the Caucasus. You should see it as a window to regional cooperation. In World War II European countries destroyed one another but now they have created the European Union and are living peacefully in a common space. The Berlin Wall has been demolished and there are other examples. We can do this in the Caucasus as well,” Kochak said. Some Georgian analysts were more sceptical. Jimi Jaliashvili, Doctor of Political Science and member of the Georgian National Security Council, noted that “you cannot construct a new configuration in the Caucasus without alienating one party and if you do that, you automatically create a source of tension in the region.” However Tedo Paatashvili, a former MP, noted that Turkey could become an effective counterweight to Russia in the region and a more active regional player. “The opening of its border with Armenia aims at increasing Turkey’s regional mission. It should not undermine its relations with its neighbours.” Paatashvili then talked about the contribution Turkey can make to improving relations between Georgia and Russia. Some Georgian analysts doubted that the outside world would want to see the Caucasus united. Nana Devdariani, former chief of the Central Election Commission, said that a united Caucasus would threaten many countries. She agreed that Turkey’s increased participation could benefit the region but warned that asymmetric strengthening of just one power would be detrimental for security in Caucasus. Overall the participants of the roundtable agreed that the people-to-people contacts are important for Turkey and Georgia and public diplomacy can make a difference and help politicians formulate better policies. Malkhaz Gulashvili noted that he would support creating a public commission with Turkey and Iran as these commissions allow an exchange of ideas. “We have to talk to one another and tell one another what we think and what problems we face. People need peace today and we have to build it through dialogue,” he said. |
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