Hürriyet, Turkey
Aug 17 2008

Turk FM holds series of talks on conflict in Georgia

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan held phone conversations over the
past two days with his United States, German, French, Swedish and
Finnish counterparts on recent developments in Georgia.

Babacan spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner whose country holds European
Union’s rotating presidency, German Foreign Minister Frank Walter
Steinmeier, Foreign Minister Carl Bildt of Sweden that is the chairman
of the Council of Europe, and chairman of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Finnish Foreign Minister
Alexander Stubb, Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on
Sunday.

Babacan told his counterparts about his impressions at his visits to
Moscow and Tbilisi together with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip
Erdogan, the statement said.

Months of tension between Georgia and its former Soviet master erupted
on Aug. 7, when Tbilisi launched an assault to seize back control of
the Russian-backed breakaway South Ossetia region. Russia said 1,600
civilians, many of them Russian citizens, were killed in the Georgian
bombardment.

Ankara has stepped in to resolve the conflict with Prime Minister
Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan had visited both
Moscow and Tbilisi.

Turkey has proposed the formation of a Caucasian union after the
clashes erupted between Georgia and Russia. Turkey, as a neighboring
country of the region, has close interest in the Caucasus in its
efforts to ensure energy supply safety.

Turkey’s proposal to establish a Caucasian union was widely
accepted. The union, called by Turkey as "Caucasus Stability and
Partnership Platform", is envisaged to bring Turkey, Armenia, Georgia,
Azerbaijan and Russia under the same roof.

Babacan and his counterparts discussed efforts to establish an
enduring cease-fire and exchanged views on steps to take to preserve
peace and stability in the region, Sunday’s statement said.

Ministers also discussed possible functions of the U.N. Security
Council, EU, NATO, Council of Europe and OSCE, as well as Turkey’s
contributions to the process, it added.