PM says NATO member Turkey considers “stricter” law on foreign influence, but “we have not heard statements from NATO Sec Gen like in Georgia's case”
Irakli Kobakhidze
Photo: Administration of the Government of Georgia
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday said Turkey, a NATO member country, was considering a stricter law on transparency of foreign influence, and further noted the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had not made such statements toward Turkey as in the case of Georgia.
In his interview with the Georgian Public Broadcaster, Kobakhidze noted the reason was the fact Turkey could not be dragged into the ongoing war in Ukraine through the opening of a “second front”, but Georgia was the case.
“Since the beginning of 2022, there was a serious interest in opening a second front in Georgia [amid the war in Ukraine], which would seriously damage Russia's positions, fighting on two fronts would not be easy for Russia, but all this would have destroyed our country. Some did not care about the fate of our country”, Kobakhidze said.
“It was an interest that is still valid today, especially in the current situation in terms of the [ongoing] war in Ukraine. Therefore, we have our logical conclusions about where the interest comes from. Turkey, a NATO member country, is considering the same law, which is much stricter than the law passed in Georgia. Stoltenberg made a statement when the [Georgian] bill had been tabled. It has been a long time since this law has been considered in Turkey, and we have not yet heard such a statement in relation to a NATO member country. Imagine that on this particular topic there is more interest in relation to Georgia than in relation to Turkey. Our logic is simple: you cannot drag Turkey as a second front into this war, [but] it is possible in the case of Georgia”, he concluded.
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