Turkish-Georgian relations model to other countries, says Deputy Bozkir

TBILISI (A.A) - January 17, 2012 - Chairman of the Turkish Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, Volkan Bozkir, said Tuesday that Turkish-Georgian relations were a model to other countries. Speaking to the AA in Georgian capital of Tbilisi, Bozkir said that Georgia was one of Turkey's strategic partners. Our two countries have excellent relations and today, we are here to handle our relations at the level of parliaments, Bozkir noted. Turkey and Georgia share important relations both from an economic and political perspective. We want to see how we can further boost relations at the level of parliaments, Bozkir emphasized. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE) natural gas pipeline have been completed. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway is under construction. These projects are important not just for two-three countries but the whole world, Bozkir underlined. Turkey and Georgia have lifted visa requirements from the citizens of respective countries. Turkish and Georgian citizens can visit each other by merely showing an ID card, Bozkir stressed. On Turkish-Georgian economic relations, Bozkir said that the trade volume between Turkey and Georgia has reached 1.2 billion USD. Turkey supports Georgia's membership in NATO and the European Union (EU) so that Georgia strengthens its own security and future, Bozkir said. In response to a question on an Armenian resolution to be debated at the French Senate on January 23, Bozkir said that the adoption of the resolution by the French Senate would force Turkey to take some important measures. On 52 Turkish citizens held in Georgian prisons, Bozkir said that they would hold talks with the Georgian ministers of justice and interior so that these Turkish citizens get extradited to Turkey. In regard to a question on a NATO radar system established in Turkey, Volkan Bozkir said that the radar was not designed to attack any single country. Turkey received the radar system as part of its responsibilities in NATO. This radar system is merely a defense system. It does not target any country, Bozkir underlined.