Abkhaz diaspora in Turkey demands recognition of passports and travel links

Turkey's Abkhaz diaspora has launched a campaign urging Ankara to recognise Abkhaz passports and establish direct transport links with the breakaway Georgian region.

Organisers of the campaign, representing an estimated 500,000 ethnic Abkhazians living in Turkey, are urging citizens to submit petitions directly to the Turkish presidency's communication centre.

The group is asking Turkey to accept Abkhaz identity documents and open air and sea routes, arguing that the territory's current international isolation violates residents' basic human rights.

According to the organisers, the lack of status restricts the rights of Abkhazia's residents to freedom of movement, education, healthcare, and family contact.

Turkey, along with the United Nations and the European Union, officially recognises Abkhazia as Georgian territory.

Only Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru, and Syria currently recognise the region as an independent state, following the brief war between Russia and Georgia in August 2008.

In an explanatory note, the campaign's organisers pointed to Taiwan as a precedent for maintaining informal trade and travel links despite a lack of official diplomatic recognition.

"Despite the 'One China' policy, relations with Taiwan are maintained through de facto representative offices," the document said, noting that technical aviation arrangements allow flights to operate without formal treaties.

The campaign also suggested that Turkey could run flights to Abkhazia using the same model currently used for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is only recognised by Ankara.

The initiative has gained political backing in Turkey. On 4 July, Turkey's Labour Party issued a statement calling for an end to Abkhazia's isolation and endorsing the diaspora's demands.