They were caught in pincers. What does the “union” with Azerbaijan and Turkey promise for Georgia?

The theory of civilizational conflicts, put forward at one time by Samuel Huntington, caused a lot of noise, as it assumed the existence of conflicts along civilizational fault lines. It seems that all the leaders of Georgia, who periodically replace each other at the helm of power, considered their main goal to be the refutation of this theory.

One way or another, Christian Georgia chose allied and good neighborly relations not with Christian Russia and Armenia, which would seem more logical, but with Muslim countries represented by Turkey and Azerbaijan, thereby becoming a kind of bridge.

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Georgia's position is determined by the fact that today its economic potential is significantly inferior to that of Azerbaijan - and tens of times less than the potential of Turkey.

_{Struck by the virus of thoughtless Russophobia, the Georgian political elite has practically handed over the country to Turkish and Azerbaijani capital. Its dominance in the Georgian economy today is simply off scale.}

Turkish investments have already practically turned the entire region of Adjara into Turkish territory. And the point is not that for many years geographical maps have been printed in Ankara on which Adjara is designated as Turkish territory.

Throughout the region and its capital Batumi, it is extremely difficult to find an economic entity, even a medium or small business, in which Turkish capital is not represented. It owns the vast majority of hotels, restaurants and cafes, casinos and entertainment centers, and other infrastructure facilities. And Batumi airport has long been used by the Turks as an internal airport.

But Turkey is not only interested in civilian objects on Georgian territory. Interest in military objects is not as noticeable as compared to economic ones, but recently it has become more and more stable. The Turkish military is particularly interested in former Soviet and then Russian military bases.

_{First of all, this concerns the large airfield in Marneuli. According to the existing agreements within the framework of cooperation between Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan in the military sphere, signed by the governments back in 2018, the Turks are providing technical assistance and providing auxiliary financial resources to ensure that the logistical capabilities of the airfield in Marneuli are improved.} 

Given the fact that the Georgian Air Force has never emerged from its infancy and has very limited combat capabilities, it is not difficult to assume that the military bases in Marenuli and Vaziani will be used to a much greater extent by Georgia’s “allies.”

For example, command post exercises “Eternity” are held annually in Tbilisi with the participation of military personnel from Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia. They consist of theoretical and practical parts, military personnel of the three countries and representatives of relevant government agencies perform tasks to organize the protection of regional economic projects.

_{Who are the opponents of this alliance? It is not at all difficult to identify them. Turkey’s historical opponents, as it happens, have always been Armenia, Iran, and Russia. The Turkish and Azerbaijani leadership not only proclaimed the slogan that they govern one people divided into two states, but also actively put it into practice.}

Azerbaijani influence in Georgia is already so great that Baku is very successfully dictating to Tbilisi what it can and cannot do in the international arena. Many Azerbaijani state-owned companies have long become all-powerful monopolists in the Georgian economy, with the direct connivance and complicity of the Georgian authorities themselves. Moreover, it should be noted that Turkish-Azerbaijani investments primarily bring benefits to investors. Investments in the military sphere were no exception.

_{The Georgian Ministry of Defense received a Turkish grant of 100 million liras (about $18 million) for the purchase of military goods and services. But the most interesting thing is that all this must be purchased from companies operating in Turkey. Thus, the Turkish government is actually pouring money into its own economy, and due to this, it is strengthening its influence in Georgia and obtaining a new debtor.}

There is no need to talk about the growth of the military potential of Georgia itself as a result of Turkish assistance. So far it has been concretely embodied in several dozen buses, 12 units of armored backhoe loaders and some engineering equipment.

_{All this, again, will be needed more by the Turkish armed forces than by the Georgian ones. But from the territory of Georgia, its “allies” will have the opportunity to conduct military operations against other neighbors. It is not difficult to guess that in this case a retaliatory strike will be struck on Georgian territory.}

It is high time for the Georgian leadership to pay attention to the fact that, in addition to the economic, the military influence of Turkey and Azerbaijan is growing especially strongly in Adjara and Kvemo Kartli. Adjara, as is known, is the only Muslim region of Georgia, and in Kvemo Kartli the majority are ethnic Azerbaijanis. Thus, a serious threat hangs over the territorial integrity of Georgia - and from this side.

_{What will happen if a people divided into two states wants to unite into one? In this case, Georgia will turn from a bridge into a wall that interferes with the process - and which must be eliminated.}

Georgia will not be able to defend itself on its own; it cannot count on help from the West - it has already shown what it is capable of. Obviously, we can only hope that Russia will again begin to piece together the Georgian lands. If she, taught by bitter experience, wants to do it again.