While political ties seem to be growing stronger between historical adversaries Turkey and Armenia, communities living on both sides of the border are still unsure what the positive diplomatic relations will mean to them.
For nearly 200 years, Greeks, Georgians, Russians and Armenians in Tsalka shared the same churches, cemeteries and family ties. Tsalka's ethnic Greeks are descendants of refugees from eastern Turkey who came to Georgia, then part of the Russian Empire, after Greece's War of Independence (1821-1831) against the Ottoman Empire.
Motuyev, a leader of the self-styled People's Patriotic Movement of Kyrgyzstan, was eager to be photographed with a shotgun. He explained that Kulov's "personal ambition" meant that the prime minister was keeping a close eye on the mines. "I have enough people, guns and hand grenades to defend myself in case Feliks Kulov wants to take the mine by force," Motuyev stated matter-of-factly.
