ABSTRACT
Georgia was not seen as an important partner and was neglected in Turkish policy. Ambivalence towards Georgia was strengthened by Turkish perception of Georgia as anti-Turkish, at least as regards the Meskhetians and their professed right to return to their homeland, which as noted earlier has been categorically refused by Georgian authorities. Moreover, Turkey faced difficulties in developing a policy towards Abkhazia, given the existence of population groups with roots in Abkhazia considerably larger than the Abkhaz population in Abkhazia itself.
