In Turkey they are concerned that new authorities in Georgia shall limit to some extent Turkish assets flow into this country. This was stated by the Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Science Academy of Armenia, orientalist Ruben Safrastyan in course of the panel discussion in Yerevan on the subject “Elections in Georgia and their Effect in the Region”.
Analysts of Turkey are worried that the block of Ivanishvili can fulfill its pre-election promises and undertake measures, limiting extra activity of Turkey in definite regions of Georgia, noted the orientalist. He considers that such worries have occurred after a big delegation of Turkish businessmen right after the Parliamentary elections visited Georgia. “Having returned, they expressed concern with that suggested strengthening of the positions of Russia in Georgia can assist new Georgian authorities to follow Moscow and limit the activity of Turkish business”, - added Safrastyan.
He noted that the Consul of Turkey to Batumi has recently given an interview and focused at economic compound of the relations between the countries, having declared that Turkey is the main trade-economic partner of Georgia, the scopes of Turkish investments comprised about 1 bln USD, goods turnover reaches 1.5 bln USD, 28 thousand Turkish companies operate in Georgia, and at the moment the states are accomplishing 15-16 joint big energy projects". Reading between the lines we can learn the idea of the diplomat that Georgia is just obliged to extend wide-scale economic cooperation with Turkey”, - added the expert.
Except for that, as he noted, now they discuss the issue of probable opening of railway communication between Georgia and Russia through Abkhazia: “Business circles in Turkey are convinced that this shall grant a possibility to use better the territory of Georgia for economic and trade communication with Russia, and this should not scare Turkish entrepreneurs. Next year they also plan to finalize the construction of the railway line Kars-Tbilisi. Thus new options occur to deepen trade-economic interaction between Turkey and Georgia”.
Summarizing, Safrastyan expressed his view that some concerns exist about that new authorities of Georgia shall limit the activity of Turkish assets and even more than that, but considering existing potential of cooperation between the states, an opinion dominates that Tbilisi should support these relations at top level. And considering the program of Ivanishvili on regional cooperation, prospects of deepening of Georgian-Turkish cooperation are quite real, concluded Armenian orientalist.
World media monitoring
16.11.2012