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Tukhashvili Mirian, Professor, Department of Macroeconomics, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University,
Tbilisi, Georgia E-mail: tuxamiri@yahoo.com
Socio-economic revitalization problems in the Turkish-Georgian border region
Abstract: The article discusses the study of the problems of economic revitalization, labor market formation and demographic development in the Georgian-Turkish border region. In the period of the Soviet Union the transition from completely closed borders to extremely liberal boundary conditions, the radical development of communication systems in the post-Soviet period has completely changed the perspective of socio-economic development in this border region. In the article there are scientifically grounded ways of socio-economic development of the region.
Keywords: labor market, Georgia, Turkey, migration, border region.
Introduction peculiarities in the development of labor markets in the
The collapse of the Soviet Union and extreme politi- border region.
cal tension between Russia and Georgia firmly closed the Georgia's open border gate with Russia and the southern firmly closed border gate with Turkey opened. The frontier quarantine region which included five administrative districts of Samtskhe-Javakheti region and four administrative districts ofAdjara Autonomous Republic moved to active economic position from the situation of prolonged economic and cultural isolation that opened up great opportunities for development. One of the main factors and basis of this became exemplary political relations between two neighbor countries, the acknowledgement of neighbor country's territorial integrity.
Study Results
The border region with Turkey with its natural and industrial resources is a very complex geographical area which is characterized by vertical zonation, rapidly developing communication system, ethno-demographically mixed population that create many
Regional labor markets in all three variations are in the interconnected Turkish-Georgian coastal labor markets area and their formation can be viewed separately in case of necessity.
In the concept of socio-economic development of the coastal regions which also includes labor markets, it is imperative to take into consideration external factors of labor market formation: population natural increase and population migration, their impact on the labor markets formed here.
The border region under review consists of ethno-demoregions which in the past had obviously different demographic parameters from the entire population of Georgia, with high fertility and strictly determined directions of population migration.
In the period of the Soviet Union in the quarantine situation it was possible to enter the region freely only in exceptional case and by special temporary pass. Stimula-
Section 6. Regional economy
tion of the frontier region's economic development was constrained by the then active rules of the Soviet Union which were very strict in the regions bordering Turkey. In such situation rapid demographic growth would totally exhaust so called demographic capacity of the region and raise the issue of population resettlement from the region.
However, due to polyethnicity the intra-regional diversity in natural increase was also different between Muslims, Orthodox and Armenian-Gregorians. The coastal mountainous regions of Adjara for a long period of time fulfilled so called demographic and labor resources donor function and met the Georgia's other regions labor markets demand on labor force with organized settlements of population. This process was also accelerated by occasional ecological disasters in mountainous regions ofAdjara. Finally, administrative districts of mountainous Adjara which were settled by Muslim Georgians were the donor for coastal regions of Adjara and neighboring districts of Samtskhe region.
As for Javakheti's population which is mainly represented by Armenians, they form not only ethno-demore-gion, but also ethno-demoeconomic region; determine the radius of economic extent of labor market (here we should note that the concept of the ethno-demoeconom-ic region is used in the report for the first time and this requires in-depth study). Because of strict quarantine during economic obstacles in the period of the Soviet Union Armenian population intensively moved to Russia's virgin lands for temporary works and they were reluctant to settle in Georgia's other regions. In fact, in the coastal region today there are formed three regional markets instead of two; these are: Javakheti, Samtskhe and Adjara-Littoral.
Radical changes in geopolitics required absolutely new vision of the further development of labor markets, their integration not only with each other but also with neighboring Turkey which at present is the main economic partner of Georgia.
Here are some tasks:
— Radical deepening of economic integration and formation of two integrated labor markets in Trabzon-Anaklia coastal zone;
— Integration of Samtskhe and Javakheti regional labor markets;
— Integration of the Turkish coastal regions labor markets with Samtskhe-Javakheti labor market.
The basis of this reality is the process of economic intensification that already has begun in the Georgian-Turkish coastal zone and the radical changes in communica-
tions networks in Samtskhe-Javakheti region, namely, the Georgian-Turkish railway construction which is in the finishing stage. The latter has an age-long strategic importance, but at the same time it causes numerous problems, inter alia, in view of effective functioning of the regional labor markets. After bringing this railway into operation Georgia and Azerbaijan will connect to Turkey and Europe through the shortest way, economic intensification will take place in the regions adjacent to the railway in both Georgian and Turkish border regions. The labor markets development of the regions which until the present were politically and economically isolated will play an important role here, because the structure of demand on labor force will change substantially and labor potential will increase.
I consider that it will be the right direction to locate economic facilities along the railway area and develop labor migration in border area between Georgia and Turkey, where along with Javakheti's population can be involved labor force from Samtskhe region as well as incoming labor force from Turkey as pendulum labor migrants. It is presumable that it will have a great effect on labor markets development in the border regions; in effective use of these regions' labor potential.
As for the coastal region of Adjara, the process of its integration with the urbanized coastal zone of Tra-bzon region has already been started. The region which was locked during the period of the Soviet Union now represents the region with intensive economic activities. However, at present there is not proper study on current integration processes. The results of the projects which were realized here and a significant part of which was carried out by the Turkish side almost have not been studied which will raise many murky issues in the following integration process.
Thus, in the Turkish-Georgian border region two regional labor markets are being formed which are separated from each other by the Goderdzi mountain pass. In prospect, the tight connection of these markets is possible through the development of Batumi-Akhaltsikhe highway.
In prospect, The Samtskhe-Javakheti region will be presented by railway and two extremely important highways with relevant checkpoints. It represents also a region of the important routes of energy resources. Overall, it has all the basic grounds for rapid economic development that will contribute to the convergence of labor markets adjacent to the border, the start of their integration process, development of population migration in the frontier zone.
Conclusion
The political condition arisen after the USSR dissolution caused the significant changes through the Georgia's regional development. The social-economic stagnation of once the most retarded Turkish-Georgian border region was shifted with economic activation, rapid development of international communication system
and commence of border adjacent labor market integration process.
The analysis revealed, that border region's further development should be grounded on results of the complex scientific researches. The region's industrial and social infrastructure fields' development concepts require essential improvement.
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