Recently, a workshop on Turkey-Georgia relations took place in Istanbul.

The workshop was organized by the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research, or SETA, a Turkish nongovernmental organization that researches regional, national and international issues and proposes policy recommendations. Delegates from NGOs, universities, government and the media attended the conference aimed at looking more closely into the Turkish-Georgian relationship.

The Caucasus is a meeting point of opportunities, Savas Barkcin, chief adviser to the prime minister, said, adding, "If we look at the horizon that unites both countries, this meeting will be fruitful and we will be able to build bridges."

During the opening speech, he emphasized Turkey's close proximity to the Caucasus region, a region that is, he said, at a crossroads. "When we look at today, [the Caucasus region] is an area of global competition in energy and security. The Caucasus region was at the periphery of world politics, but it is now coming to the center of world politics," Hurriyet Daily News cited Barkcin as saying.