"As a country that deems Georgia's territorial integrity and the well-being of the Georgian people to be important, Turkey expects the tension that has emerged between the Georgian government and the Adjarian Autonomous Republic in recent days to be removed through the prudence and caution of both parties and within the democratization process of Georgia, in which it has achieved a significant progress," a statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili announced on Monday economic measures against Adjaria after a tense standoff at the weekend, when Saakashvili was twice turned away from the region.
"Unrest in
"We favor peace, not unrest, in our neighbors," he went on to say.
The standoff began Sunday after Saakashvili
was prevented from entering Adjaria, a pro-Moscow
Muslim enclave on the border with
On Sunday evening, Saakashvili gave Adjaria a 10:30 p.m. Monday deadline to accept his power and disarm paramilitary forces, and he announced economic restrictions after the expiration of the deadline, stepping back from the rhetoric of armed conflict.
Still, tension persisted with armed men -- both security forces and
civilians given guns by regional authorities -- guarding the internal border to
Adjaria. Shots were fired in the air Monday evening
as
The crisis underscores
The dispute deepened already awkward relations between Georgia and
its big northern neighbor,
Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, an old ally of Abashidze's, flew into
Tension persisted with armed men -- both security forces and
civilians given guns by regional authorities -- guarding the internal border to
"The issues must be solved only through a compromise," Luzhkov said. It was not immediately clear whether his visit brought any results.
In a sign of heightened tensions across the small
"We knew that Abashidze wanted to create disturbances across the country," Amiran Meskheli, deputy head of the Security Ministry told reporters but did not say on what he based his suspicions.
Repeating a pledge to solve the tension without bloodshed, Saakashvili said, "We are committed to the supremacy of our constitution."
Saakashvili said he and other Georgian leaders have also
been in close contact throughout the crisis with "friendly states,"
including
Both
No risk for BTC
On Tuesday,
Delivery to world markets from the BTC pipeline is expected to start in 2005.
Border guards hold exercise
Amid the tension, Turkish and Georgian border guards will start a three-day joint maneuver in the border area today.
A statement from the Land Forces Command said that a team of one officer, one noncommissioned officer and 30 privates from each country would take part in the maneuver.
The maneuver will tackle issues of stemming illegal immigration and drug and commercial goods smuggling.