Turkish-Georgian Relations: Sturdy Cooperation in the Caucasus

Paying a state visit to Georgia at the invitation of President Giorgi Margvelashvili, President Abdullah Gül carried out several important programs. During his address to the Turkey-Georgia Business Forum, President Gül reiterated that Turkish and Georgian citizens can travel to each other’s countries without visa requirements, which he said consolidates the existing economic relations between the two countries. The President also attended the official dinner hosted by his Georgian counterpart in his honor and he declared Tbilisi to be the pearl of the Caucasus during his speech there. President Gül, during the joint press conference he held with President Margvelashvili held at the Georgian Presidential Palace, accentuates the strategic partnership Turkey and Georgia enjoy.

President Abdullah Gül paid a state visit to Georgia at the invitation of President Giorgi Margvelashvili.

PRESIDENT GÜL IN GEORGIA

President Gül was welcomed by Georgian Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy George Kvirikashvili; Secretary General of the Georgian Presidency Lasha Abashidze; Turkish Ambassador to Tbilisi Levent Gümrükçü; Georgian Ambassador to Ankara Irakli Koplatadze and other officials at Tbilisi Airport.

PRESIDENT GÜL EXPLORES OLD TOWN

President Gül, accompanied by President Margvelashvili of Georgia, walked around the Old Town in Tbilisi and he was informed by officials about it.

DINNER GIVEN IN HONOR OF PRESIDENT GÜL

President Gül afterwards participated in the unofficial dinner that President Margvelashvili hosted in his honor.

TURKEY-GEORGIAN BUSINESS FORUM

President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili of Georgia attended the closing session of the Turkey-Georgia Business Forum.

President Gül, evincing his happiness to be in Tbilisi, lauded that city for achieving great change for the better since his last visit to the city. Turkey, he said, is pleased to observe that Georgia has succeeded in its political transformation in a peaceful way that befits democracy and that its government has put forward policies which are open to the world with a visionary approach. The President further noted that an important delegation including ministers, MPs and business leaders who have investments at the global level, is accompanying him, which he said shows the importance Turkey attaches to its relations with Georgia.

FRATERNITY BETWEEN TURKEY AND GEORGIA

Turkey and Georgia, the President noted, are both good neighbors and relatives who serve as “one of the basic pillars of our cooperation which is from people to people. We are two countries that have supported each other in their difficult times as well. We lay special emphasis on development activities in such a political atmosphere. The relationship between Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan is also about integration with the European-Atlantic structure and also with such values as democracy, the rule of law and the free market economy. Furthermore, this is also an important political activity that has a regional and global level.”

SIGNIFICANT COOPERATION IN MANY AREAS

Pointing out that some leaders considered the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum Gas Pipeline Projects to be impossible to complete, President Gül said these projects have been finalized successfully despite these negative predictions. Today, he noted, through the pipelines via Georgia, oil from the Caucasus and the Midlle East reaches the world markets through Ceyhan, adding that the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Project will be completed soon. “An interconnection system has been established between Turkey and Georgia thanks to the last agreement signed through which the surplus of the electricity produced in Georgia will be imported by Turkey and if necessary it will be transfered to Europe through Turkey. Such cooperations will bring prosperity, economic development and peace of course.”

DANCE PERFORMANCE BY SUKHISHVILI

President Gül, upon his arrival at the Shota Rutaveli Theatre where the show was performed, was welcomed by President Margvelashvili.

President Abdullah Gül and President Margvelashvili enjoyed the dance performance by the Georgian State Folk Dance Company, "Sukhishvili".

OFFICIAL DINNER

President Abdullah Gül participated in the official dinner that President Giorgi Margvelashvili of Georgia hosted in his honor.

Recalling that he paid one of his first foreign visits to Georgia after taking office, President Gül described Tbilisi as “the pearl that reflects an elegant understanding of art, architecture and aesthetics” and extended his thanks to his Georgian counterpart for his warm welcome.

UNSHAKABLE BONDS BETWEEN TWO PEOPLES

President Gül highlighted the unshaken ties with very old traditions between the Turkish and Georgian peoples and reiterated that the Turkish people have always borne amicable feelings for the Georgian nation that he noted has established a deep-rooted and human oriented civilization in the Caucasus, which he said is one of the toughest geographies in the world. “Renowned traveler Evliya Çelebi, who visited this land in the 17th century, described the people of Georgia as ‘kavm-i necip’ meaning ‘pure-hearted people’. This phrase is a tangible demonstration of the trust the Turkish people have in the Georgians. As for the people of Georgia, they also have the same feelings for the Turks.Throughout history, this two friend nations have set a good example for the whole world in terms of living in peace and harmony. This is why King Solomon II, who fought against the Russian soldiers took refuge in the Ottoman Empire. The corpse of this important figure who passed away in 1815 was entrusted to us in the northern city of Trabzon until 1990. 17 sadrazams (grand viziers), hundreds of viziers and thousands of state officials in the Ottoman Empire were of Georgian origin. There have been many artists, statesmen and scientists of Georgian origin in the republican period as well.”

PRESIDENT GÜL AT GEORGIAN PRESIDENTIAL PALACE

President Abdullah Gül, the next day, was welcomed with an official ceremony by President Giorgi Margvelashvili as part of his state visit to Georgia.

After the national anthems of the two countries had been played during the ceremony held at the Presidential Palace, President Gül inspected the escort of honor.

Afterwards, the two leaders had a tete-a-tete.

JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE

President Abdullah Gül and President Giorgi Margvelashvili of Georgia held a joint news conference.

At the outset of his speech, President Gül shared his happiness to be visiting Tbilisi to pay a state visit and on the occasion of the Turkey-Georgia-Azerbaijan Trilateral Summit.

TURKISH-GEORGIAN COOPERATION

The Trilateral Summit, he noted, has enabled the leaders of these three countries to review both the quintessential projects carried out within the framework of the strategic importance of the region and other projects that could be conducted in this regard. Turkey has always attached great importance to its relations with Georgia. “There are many Turkish citizens of Georgian origin in Turkey and many Georgian citizens of Turkish origin in Georgia as well. This demonstrates that both peoples enjoy intimate and robust bonds. Each year, 1.8 million Georgian people visit Turkey and 1.6 million Turkish citizens visit Georgia, which also shows how robust is the relationship between the two peoples. We as leaders of our countries have carried the existing solidarity between our countries and nations to the highest level. Our bilateral relations today have reached the level of strategic partnership.”

TURKEY’S SUPPORT FOR GEORGIA

Turkey, the President emphasized, supports the resolution of the problems in the region within the framework of Georgia’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, the rule of law and international law. Turkey also endorses Georgia’s efforts to integrate with the European-Atlantic institutions, declared President Gül, underscoring the importance of the fact that Georgia will soon sign the partnership and free trade agreement with the EU.

Touching on the economic dimension of Turkish-Georgian relations during his speech, President Gül said that “a number of Turkish firms are carrying out huge projects in such areas as the energy and infrastructure in Georgia. Through an agreement we signed in the energy field, the surplus of the electricity produced in that country can be sold to Turkey and via our country to Europe. Thus, both countries have almost been connected economically. Turkish and Georgian citizens can travel to each other’s countries without visa requirements. Moreover, both countries enjoy the Free Trade Agreement.”

PRESIDENT GÜL LAYS WREATH AT MEMORIAL OF HEROES

President Gül afterwards laid a wreath at the Memorial of Heroes and later attended the working luncheon Prime Minister Garibashvili hosted in his honor.

Having completed his official program in Georgia, President Gül returned to Turkey.

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