From a Failed State To a Weak One? Georgia and Turkish-Georgian Relations

Abstract

In current international relations concepts such as weak states or failing-failed states are drawing increasingly more attention from the scholars and policy makers. These states appeared to be the main threats, not only as the sources of origin for terrorists, but also as their breeding grounds. In response, eliminating such weak states and replacing them with strong, organized, preferably centralized, free and democratic states became the primary concern of western democracies, especially of the U.S. These weak or failing states come into sight particularly in areas where state building has been relatively recent or closely associated with a supra-national power. From this perspective, Georgia has been displaying the characteristics of a failing state in the early 1990s with its weak political structure, lack of a national financial system and rampant ethnic strife and illegal armed groups. To complicate the matters more, the control of state over its national territory was compromised and the involvement of foreign powers worsened the situation. This article aims at answering questions related with Georgia's state formation or strengthening process with a special emphasis on the Turkish-Georgian relations.