Jun 02, 2005

Abkhazia: Turkey Offers to Mediate Talks with Georgia


Turkey has offered to mediate talks between Georgia and Abkhazia, which unilaterally declared its independence, to find a peaceful solution
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Turkey has offered to mediate talks between Georgia and Abkhazia, which unilaterally declared its independence, to find a peaceful solution.

Nugzar Ashuba, the speaker of Abkhazia's parliament, said after his meeting with Turkish Ambassador to Georgia Erton Tezgor, that Turkey had offered to mediate talks between Georgia and Abkhazia to find a peaceful solution.

Ashuba said that Tezgor had proposed having Georgian, Abkhazian and Turkish representatives meet for talks, adding that they could take into consideration Turkey's proposal in their relations with Georgia.

Georgian-Abkhazian dispute started on August 14th, 1992 when Georgian government troops occupied Suthumi. Later, clashes turned into war, but ended on September 30th, 1993 after Georgian forces and population left the region.

The war claimed 8 thousand lives, and about 200 thousand Abkhazian people were forced to leave their home.

Russian peace-keeping force has been trying to control the cease-fire between the two sides since September 1993.

Peace talks between Georgia and Abkhazia have been under way since 1997 under the auspices of the United Nations and with the mediation of Britain, Russia, the United States, France and Germany.

Source: Turkishpress