BY SAMI KOHEN
MILLIYET- Columnist Sami Kohen writes on the latest developments in the Caucasus region. A summary of his column is as follows:
Whenever instability rears its head in the region, the importance of the Caucasus is better understood. Right now, for instance ...
Instability in the Caucasus, a key issue for Turkey due to security concerns, might result in grave consequences. Moreover, the Caucasus, our main gateway to Central Asia, has rich oil and natural gas reserves, which is why Ankara has always given it special importance in the post-Soviet period.
If its stability is shattered, the US and Russia could intervene in the region, which would suddenly make it into a top world hotspot.
Two recent elections have recently raised our concerns about the situation there. Luckily, in Azerbaijan, clashes between police and opposition supporters protesting the results of last month’s presidential elections which handed victory to Ilham Aliyev, the son of outgoing President Heidar Aliyev, failed to last long. Now the new young leader has a weighty responsibility to tackle the country’s political, economic and social problems. The other important development is Georgia’s elections. Thousands marched through the capital Tbilisi to protest recent poll results that put the coalition of President Eduard Shevardnadze in the lead. People accused his government of rigging the election through falsified voter lists and ballot-stuffing. Opposition protesters are vowing they will reject any result that gives Shevardnadze's bloc dominance in their Parliament. Protesters have been demanding both the resignation of Shevardnadze and the annulment of the election results, but so far he has rejected both demands. Nobody knows how things are going to develop in the country. Is Georgia plunging into chaos? This would be a grave development indeed. Turkey has successfully established strategic relations with both Azerbaijan and Georgia. However, the continuation of these ties is completely dependent on stability in the region. We’re about to face new dangers. Other important issues such as Cyprus, the Middle East and our EU membership bid shouldn’t distract us from perceiving these dangers and taking measures to counter them.