Turkey`s interference in Abkhazia`s politics is just a myth   -   expert 

ArmInfo.Turkey's interference in Abkhazia's politics is just a myth and the result of pre-election  PR. This was stated by political scientist, director of the Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan in an interview with an ArmInfo correspondent.

As the expert recalled, Abkhazia is actively preparing for the snap  elections, which will take place on February 15. Five candidates are  participating in them, but the main contenders are Badra Gumba and  Adgur Ardzimba. Iskandaryan noted that the current election campaign  is largely focused on Badra Gumba.  According to him, there is an  opinion about Gumba's support from Russia, and many in Abkhazia  believe that Moscow would like to see him as president. "Mr. Gumba  was vice president under the previous president, and he has quite a  lot of connections in Russia," Iskandaryan explained.

In this regard, the political scientist pointed out the presence of  black PR in the election campaign, where many accusations and rumors  are being made with the aim of manipulating the voting process. One  of these accusations is the assumption that Ardzimba is pro-Turkish.  However, as the expert explained, there are no real grounds for such  claims.

"Mr. Gumba, in turn, studied and worked in Russia, which creates a  dichotomy: Ardzimba is presented as pro-Turkish, which causes fear  among the population, mainly Armenian. Gumba is supported by Moscow,  and this is used to discredit Ardzimba, claiming that Turkish  influence can come through him. Everyone in Abkhazia understands who  is whose protege; the republic is small, and social ties here are  strong.

The legends that Ardzimba is a great Muslim and an anti-Russian  politician do not work; in fact, he also holds pro-Russian views,"  Iskandaryan noted.

According to the political scientist, external influence on  Abkhazia's politics is quite limited. In the conditions of  ethnocracy, it is difficult to imagine that Turkey can play a  significant role in Abkhazian politics, as is sometimes portrayed in  the media. Nevertheless, Iskandaryan did not rule out the presence of  Turkey's strategic interests in the region, given Abkhazia's  geographical location on the Black Sea and the presence of a  significant number of ethnic Abkhaz in Turkey.

"Turkey may have a desire to occupy a certain place in the territory  of the former Soviet Union in the context of its collapse. This may  concern Crimea or Abkhazia, as well as Adjara, where Turkish business  is actively penetrating. However, I do not think that Turkey will  participate in the current Abkhaz policy, despite the fact that  within Abkhazia, among the ethnic Abkhaz population, the attitude  towards Turkey is generally quite loyal," explained the director of  the Caucasus Institute.

According to Iskandaryan, one of the reasons for the current  situation in Abkhazia, including the resignation of Aslan Bzhania,  the former president of the republic, is the struggle between various  Abkhaz business groups and clans, which is associated with the  processes of redistribution of economic resources.

In addition, this is a protest against the possible entry of Russian  business into the Abkhaz economic space, since Russia has  incomparable opportunities. "If Russian business occupies this space,  then Abkhaz entrepreneurs will suffer. In this context, talking about  Turkey's influence, as it seems to me, is not entirely correct,"  Iskandaryan continued.

The political scientist also expressed the opinion that such PR could  negatively affect those who conduct it, and as a result, Ardzimba  could, on the contrary, increase his ratings. At the same time, the  problems will not disappear: the investment law, the agreement with  Russia, the entry of Russian business into Abkhazia and the  opportunity for Russians to acquire land remain relevant.

"The person who wins the elections will interact with Moscow, not  with Ankara, since interaction with Turkey in an open legal field is  impossible," the expert explained.

Touching upon the role of the Armenian community in the electoral  processes and its general situation in Abkhazia, Iskandaryan noted  that the Armenian community in Abkhazia has certain problems, but  they are not acute. The Armenian community in Abkhazia is specific to  the Armenian diaspora: it is deeply rooted and has existed since the  end of the 19th century. These people arrived from the northern coast  of today's Turkey and are largely a rural community, which is not  typical for most Armenian diasporas. "The Armenian community is well  integrated into the Abkhaz hierarchies, among them there are  businessmen and politicians. However, the Abkhaz perceive Abkhazia as  their land, and therefore the high-level political elite consists  exclusively of ethnic Abkhaz," Iskandaryan summarized.

Earlier, the media circulated information about the alleged Turkish  influence on the electoral processes in Abkhazia.

It was also noted that the Turkish lobby, through the Abkhaz  government, is trying to put pressure on the Armenian community of  the unrecognized republic in order to reduce the chances of a  pro-Russian candidate coming to power.