Expanding Turkish-Georgian Strategic Ties Rankle Russia

Turkey seeks to expand its security presence in the Caucasus, and Georgia has expressed interest in the possible implementation of a Turkish military training program. Closer strategic ties between Ankara and Tbilisi are rankling Russian leaders, who have already cautioned Georgia against taking "steps that violate the existing balance of forces in the Transcaucasus."

A large Turkish delegation, led by military Chief of Staff Hilmi Ozkok, flew to Tbilisi on April 18 for wide-ranging talks on security issues, focusing on "ways to develop the existing military cooperation," the Anatolia news agency reported.

Participants divulged few specifics of their discussions. According to Turkish and Georgian media, Ozkok and Georgian Defense Minister David Tevzadze explored "in detail" the training of the Georgian military personnel by the Turkish military experts, the issue of Turkish financial assistance to the Georgian army in 2003-2004, and the renovation of a Georgian military air facility. Turkey also indicated that it would assist in training a marine anti-terrorism unit for Georgia's Black Sea flotilla, a Georgian official said.

Turkish leaders appeared satisfied with the security talks. "Military cooperation between Turkey and this key Caucasus country is very strong," the Turkish Daily News said in a commentary. Georgian officials noted the parameters for the training program would be similar to a US initiative known as "Train and Equip."

US-Georgian security cooperation has been a source of rising tension between Tbilisi and Moscow, which is keen not to see its strategic influence in the region erode to the benefit of the United States. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. The Turkish delegation's visit has further inflamed Russian sentiment, political analysts say. Georgian officials have suggested that Tbilisi's strengthening military ties with the United States do not pose any particular threat to a third country. But a strongly worded resolution, approved by the Russian State Duma on April 16, is indicative of Moscow's lack of trust in Georgia's strategic intention.

The Duma resolution, adopted by an overwhelming majority, sharply criticized the expansion of the US-Georgian strategic cooperation. "It is impermissible for the Georgian leadership to take steps that violate the existing balance of forces in the Transcaucasus and contradict the good-neighborly nature of Russian-Georgian relations," the resolution said.

Some influential Russian MPs openly portray Georgia as a US military vassal in the Caucasus. The Georgian-US security agreement "is humiliating for Georgia," says Konstantin Kosachev, the Deputy Head of the State Duma International Relations Committee. It "turns the relationship between Georgia and the United States into the de-facto relations between the powerless satellite and an [all-powerful] metropole," he added.

Clearly, most Russian analysts and policy-makers perceive the expansion of security cooperation between Washington and Tbilisi as a serious security threat. The US military presence in Georgia "might not be that dangerous had it not been for the proximity of Georgia to Russia," said Anatoly Chekhoyev, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee for the Relations with the CIS Countries. "Russian national security is being threatened