Georgia expresses support for its ‘strategic ally’ Turkey following Syrian gov’t attack
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Georgia says it stands by and supports its strategic ally Turkey following a deadly attack of the Syrian government in the Idlib province of opposition-held north-western Syria, killing at least 33 Turkish soldiers earlier today.
Georgia closely observes the situation in Syria. Turley is a strategic partner and an ally of Georgia. We are concerned by the attack of the Assad regime on Turkish troops in Idlib. We support Turkey and express our condolences to the families of the killed soldiers,” Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandre Khvtisiashvili stated earlier today after his meeting with Onur Sevin, Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry says that Khvtisiashvili and Sevin met to discuss the incident.
Turkey, which backs the opposition in Syria, says it hit 200 government targets in response.
The EU has warned the crisis could complicate further.
The Turkish and Russian presidents spoke by phone earlier today.
The BBC reports that the officials ‘expressed concern and agreed on the need for additional measures’ to normalise the situation.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has called for Georgia’s accession into NATO during the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland, stating that ‘Georgia needs us and we need an ally like Georgia. So we need enlargement,’ Reuters reports. Cavusoglu stated during the panel discussion that “I don’t understand why we have not invited Georgia or why we haven’t activated the action plan for Georgia to become a member.”
Georgian, Turkish and Azerbaijani foreign ministers have signed a new, 2020-2022 action plan for sectoral cooperation during the eighth meeting of the trilateral format held in Tbilisi earlier today. The action plan provides steps and actions in all the fields of cooperation between the countries which will benefit the interests of Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan, the Georgian Foreign Ministry reports.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to visit Georgia in May of 2020, Georgian Ambassador to Turkey Giorgi Janjgava stated earlier today.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has met with Turkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu, who is visiting Tbilisi to participate in the eighth, trilateral meeting of Georgian, Azerbaijani and Turkish FMs, earlier today. “We value our special relations with Turkey and welcome further strengthening of strategic partnership,” Gakharia has stated at the meeting.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have discussed the prospects and significance of the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey trilateral cooperation format during a telephone conversation, the government administration reports. PM Garibashvili expressed his condolences to President Erdogan on behalf of the Georgian government and the Georgian people for casualties and damage caused by the outbreak of a fire in Turkey located in southwestern Asia which has been raging for several days and killed six people and pledged support.