Turkey is ready to contribute to peace and stability in the Caucasus, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday.
In a televised address to the nation, Erdogan said the recent developments in the Caucasus posed a serious threat not only to regional but also to global peace and stability.
He reaffirmed Turkey's readiness to do what it had to in order to ensure a permanent ceasefire and peace and stability in the Caucasus.
His comments follow the recent military and diplomatic conflict between Georgia and Russia over the Georgian breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
"We are trying to fulfil our responsibility to urge the parties to find a diplomatic solution with common sense," Erdogan said, adding that nobody should seek to benefit at the cost of others in international relations.
"Harming peace and stability in the Caucasus, in a way to incite deep conflicts, will have serious results for global peace and stability," the Turkish leader said.
"We are deeply sorry about the death of many innocent civilians in the clashes between Russia and Georgia, and we are concerned that these clashes are laying a groundwork for dangerous developments that can harm regional stability," he added.
Countries in the region should maintain a process of continuous and strong dialogue in order to restore peace and stability, he proposed.
Turkey attaches importance to Georgia's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, said Erdogan, and expressed his country's expectation that peace will be restored in the conflict zone, particularly South Ossetia, and the parties concerned will open diplomatic channels of dialogue as soon as possible.
Abkhazia and South Ossetia broke from Georgian rule during wars in the early 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union, but their self-proclaimed independence is not recognized internationally.
Georgia, a former Soviet republic and a staunch U.S. ally, has long been at odds with Russia over the two breakaway regions and its own bids to join NATO and the European Union.
Earlier this month, Georgia sent in troops to reclaim South Ossetia, triggering a military counter-offensive from Russia. The conflict ended with a ceasefire agreement between Tbilisi and Moscow brokered by France
However, diplomatic tensions between the two nations mounted with Russian President Medvedev recognizing the two regions as independent states on Aug. 26.
Source:Xinhua
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