The break-up of the Soviet Union had far-reaching consequences on Turkey’s close neighborhood. The business minded population of the Turkish Back Sea cities, helped by the geographical and cultural proximity, started penetrating into their rediscovered neighborhood. In the 90’s, Abkhazia rose as a major destination for people and commodities originating from the Turkish Black Sea coast. A bus connection was established between Trabzon and Sukhum1. Some 3000 Turkish businessmen, most of them of ethnic Abkhazian origin, left in the early 90’s for Sukhum. The establishment of a direct maritime connection between Sukhum and Trabzon in 1994 sustained a continuous flow of passengers. A ferry called Ritza operates twice a week between Trabzon and Sukhum till 1996. The ferry was usually fully booked.
