Turkish MPs from 10 parties have called on Ankara to recognise Abkhazian passports and to establish direct sea and air links between Turkey and Abkhazia. The parties hold 206 seats in the Turkish Parliament, constituting around 34% of parliament. There are believed to be upwards of 500,000 ethnic Abkhaz in Turkey, almost double the population of Abkhazia itself. In the statement, the MPs cited precedents set by how passports from Northern Cyprus and Taiwan are processed around the world. Georgian independent media outlet Netgazeti noted that the joint statement was not on the Turkish Parliament’s website.