Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Georgia: strategic triangle of the region Partnerships at Play

On February 26, Georgia's newly appointed Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili made her first official visit to Türkiye. During the visit, Botchorishvili met with her Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, as well as with President of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Numan Kurtulmus. Following the visit, it was announced that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may visit Georgia in the near future.  

The Georgian foreign minister’s visit coincided with the beginning of significant geopolitical shifts in the region. At the end of last year, a change of government occurred in Syria, with the new leadership adopting a friendly stance toward Türkiye. Real prospects for ending the long-standing civil war in Syria, facilitating the return of refugees (the majority of whom were accepted by Türkiye), and rebuilding the economy have emerged.

A peaceful resolution in Ukraine may also be within reach, as the new US administration under President Donald Trump effectively continued the peacekeeping efforts of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to US officials, peace in Ukraine could be achieved based on agreements brokered by Türkiye in Istanbul as early as the spring of 2022. Additionally, Türkiye has already agreed to deploy its peacekeeping forces in Ukraine if necessary.   

External forces recently attempted to drag Georgia into a war with Russia, which would have effectively cut off communications across Eurasia and caused monumental problems for both the South Caucasus countries and Central Asia. Liberal circles in the West worked tirelessly to implement such a scenario, exerting pressure on the Georgian authorities with demands to open a "second front." It was only the pragmatic policy of the ruling Georgian Dream party that prevented this catastrophic development for Georgia's statehood. In the parliamentary elections on October 26, 2024, the Georgian Dream party secured the trust of Georgian voters.

As opposed to the EU, Türkiye and Azerbaijan had no doubts about the legitimacy of Georgia's government, offering full support for the sovereign policy of the Georgian administration. This backing was especially crucial given the unprecedented pressure from the EU and the de facto support from Brussels and Paris for attempts to overthrow the legitimate Georgian government. The instability in Ukraine and the Middle East has significantly increased the importance of the Middle Corridor, which links China and Central Asia with Europe, passing through Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye. Thanks to revenue from transit and the preservation of peace within the country, Georgia has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in recent years.

The economic rise of Georgia has been greatly influenced by its strong relationships with key economic partners— Türkiye and Azerbaijan.   During the meeting between Botchorishvili and Fidan, the Georgian Foreign Ministry noted that special emphasis was placed on the importance of the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Türkiye trilateral strategic partnership platform, within which another meeting of the foreign ministers of the three countries will be held in Türkiye. The sides highlighted the significance of key projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, taking into account the Middle Corridor concept.  

"Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Georgia have been involved in the development of highly significant projects with substantial strategic importance for a long time. The participation of all three countries is crucial for the advancement of these projects, and ultimately, this will enable us to establish peace in the region. In particular, the opportunities provided by the Caspian Sea in developing both European and global markets are the key ones. Additionally, the Black Sea region and its potential are of paramount importance. These may not be high-profile projects, but it is crucial to develop them from a regional perspective. We already have exemplary relations among the three countries— Türkiye, Georgia, and Azerbaijan—and this can be considered a model for others to follow," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said following his meeting with Botchorishvili.  

Given that Türkiye is one of NATO's leading member states with immense economic potential, the notion of "political isolation" of Georgia's current government, which was touted by the pro-Western opposition, is simply unfounded. Moreover, it is precisely through Türkiye that Georgia's integration into NATO, without confrontation with Russia, becomes far more achievable than Ukraine's accession to the alliance.

"We need Türkiye's support in Georgia's integration into NATO," stated Botchorishvili, emphasising the importance of the alliance with Ankara in the process of Euro-Atlantic integration. "We see Türkiye as an extremely important and leading country in the region. Türkiye is a special friend of Georgia."   

The cooperation between Türkiye and Georgia in the context of Tbilisi's NATO aspirations is a clear indication that the current Georgian government is not "pro-Russian", as the opposition claims, given that Russia holds a negative stance toward NATO's expansion. Thus, the victory of the Georgian Dream party in Georgia's elections is not a special operation by the Kremlin but rather the choice of the Georgian people. The current Georgian authorities prioritise, above all, Georgia's national interests.

Vladimir Tskhvediani, Georgia, exclusively for Caliber.Az