Turkish-sponsored Caucasian union to start as economic partnership

17/08/2008

ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkey plans to launch a Caucasian alliance on the basis of an economic partnership, local media reported on Saturday (August 16th). The Caucasus Stability and Partnership Platform envisages common security and executive bodies for Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Russia. Ankara proposed the alliance in an effort to resolve the Georgian-Russian conflict. Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan will meet with his Russian counterpart, Segei Lavrov, next week to start establishing the union.

In other news, Turkey denied reports that it decided not to sign energy deals with Iran because of US pressure. "Turkey is a big country and does not do anything just because someone asked it to," Gul told reporters. On Thursday, Gul met with his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but they failed to sign an expected agreement on a gas pipeline. (Hurriyet, Sabah, Zaman, Milliyet, CNN Turk, Turkish Press - 16/08/08, Sabah, NTV - 16/08/08)