“It is a great honor and pleasure for me to celebrate with you the 102nd anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey”, – the Speaker, H.E. Shalva Papuashvili, addressed the attendees at the ceremony of the 102nd anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey.
As the Speaker noted, this day provides an excellent opportunity to commemorate the visions of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and all the people who laid the foundation of your great state.
According to him, their clairvoyance and the aspirations to progress, as well as the principles established by them – sovereignty, modern governance and the spirit of progress – have transformed the country and remain relevant.
“Turkey is a strategic ally, the largest trade partner and a reliable neighbour of Georgia. We highly value Turkey’s unwavering support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its involvement in promoting peace and stability in the Black Sea and South Caucasus regions. In an increasingly complex and unstable geopolitical environment, strengthening cooperation between Georgia and Turkey is essential for the future progress of our countries. Mutual respect for each other’s independence — which is expressed through the will of our peoples in democratic elections — has always been the cornerstone of our strategic relationship with Turkey. Respect for sovereignty and popular democracy must remain the most important principle in relations between independent states, as sovereignty represents the fundamental expression of the people’s will and serves as the main source of democratic legitimacy in the modern world. Georgia and Turkey are Republics and the term “Republic” itself reflects its key principle – the common cause, the common task of the people, and no one has the right to interfere from outside in the decisions of the Republic. Any attempt to overthrow popular sovereignty contradicts the spirit of democracy”, – he stated.
Shalva Papuashvili underscored the advantages of enhancing bilateral relations.
“The parliaments of our countries are the cornerstone of our independence and democracy. We attach particular importance to deepening parliamentary ties with our colleagues from the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. In June of this year, together with a parliamentary delegation, I paid an official visit to Turkey. I had a friendly and productive meeting with my counterpart, the Speaker of the Parliament, Mr. Numan Kurtulmuş. Our meetings are always constructive, sincere, and future-oriented. I hope that my colleague will visit Georgia in the near future. Georgia and Turkey together form a historic corridor of opportunities that connects Europe and Asia and benefits our peoples. I am pleased that today we look to our region with renewed optimism, as we observe signs of progress towards establishing long-term peace and security in the South Caucasus. This includes the prospects of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the lifting of transit restrictions between the two countries. We also welcome the positive steps taken towards the normalisation of relations between Turkey and Armenia. Georgia firmly supports this process. We believe that a stable and peaceful South Caucasus will create new opportunities for greater connectivity, economic growth, trade, and people-to-people exchanges. On behalf of the Parliament of Georgia, I once again congratulate the people of Turkey on the anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey. I wish the Turkish people peace, prosperity, and continued success. Once again, I reaffirm our commitment to friendship, cooperation, mutual respect, and an active strategic partnership between our two nations”, – the Speaker noted.