The visit was reported as the first visit to Abkhazia by a Western
diplomat since the five-day war between Georgia and Russia (Aug. 8-12,
2008). However, Abkhazia is a place Western diplomats frequently visit.
EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby was in
Sukhumi in July. Çeviköz
is an experienced diplomat who has served as the Turkish ambassador to
Azerbaijan, worked effectively to relieve tension in the region during
the five-day war and brought the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation
Platform to the agenda. He knows the region's problems very well. He
knows better than anyone else that the last bridges between Abkhazia
and Georgia were burned after the five-day war. Moreover, following
Russia and Nicaragua, Venezuela also recognized Abkhazia's
independence. Bolivia is said to be next in line. A three-person
delegation from Abkhazia traveled around Latin America last week to
accelerate the process of Latin American countries recognizing
Abkhazia's independence. During a period in which Abkhazia's
independence process has begun to gain momentum month by month, Çeviköz
could not have gone to Sukhumi to engage in efforts to restart a peace
process between Abkhazia and Georgia. Therefore, we can presume that a
new process is going to start between Turkey, Georgia and Abkhazia. In
other words, to prevent Abkhazia from unifying with the Russian
Federation any further, Ankara may have asked Tbilisi to allow a
controlled relationship with Abkhazia. To be more explicit, the door
may be opened to preventing Georgia from disturbing ships on
humanitarian missions or those involved in trade traveling between
Turkey and Abkhazia over the Black Sea. Turkey is rediscovering
Abkhazia with the help of geographical, ethnic and cultural closeness.
It has entered into an unstoppable multidimensional integration process
with Abkhazia. A close relationship is being established with Abkhazia
similar to the multidimensional relationship established with Cypriot
Turks in the east Mediterranean region. The Black Sea is no longer a
sea that separates Turkey and Abkhazia. Abkhazia is becoming one with
the Black Sea coastline of Turkey. Opening commercial ship
transportation and a ferryboat line between Sukhumi and Turkish ports
on the Black Sea (İstanbul, Samsun, Trabzon) will boost confidence in
solving the problem. The Abkhaz people will become interested in
Turkey, in other words, the West. The southwestern Caucasus
region (Turkey, Georgia, Abkhazia) will be completely open to
humanitarian and trade activity. The southwestern Caucasus, which were
once divided by security barriers during the Cold War period, will
reunite through intense cross-border cooperation. This will give Ankara
the opportunity to improve relations between Tbilisi and Sukhumi, even
if only slightly. In conclusion, in the post-Cold War period, in order
for the Black Sea region to become integrated, new policies concerning
Abkhazia are necessary. |