GÜNEY OSETYA MESELESİNİN GÖLGESİNDE GÜRCÜ-OSET TOPLUMSAL İLİŞKİLERİ VE GÜNDELİK BARIŞIN İZLERİ
GEORGIAN-OSSETIAN SOCIETAL RELATIONS AND SIGNS OF EVERYDAY PEACE UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE SOUTH OSSETIA QUESTION

Summary/Abstract: The South Ossetia conflict, which reflects the complex ethnic, political, and historical dynamics of the Caucasus, continues to pit Georgia, which seeks to preserve its territorial integrity, against South Ossetia, which has separatist tendencies, and Russia, which supports South Ossetia politically, militarily, and economically in order to protect its regional interests. The study analyzes the South Ossetia conflict, where the resolution of political and territorial disputes remains uncertain, in light of Georgian-Ossetian societal relations. Drawing on the concept of everyday peace, which emphasizes the significance of local actors in peacebuilding, this study argues that attitudes and behaviors at the grassroots level can be promising for peace and reconciliation efforts. In this regard, it aims to explore how the South Ossetia conflict is reflected in everyday Georgian-Ossetian relations and the potential of such relations for peace and reconciliation. Using qualitative methods, secondary sources, including various reports, documents and academic studies on Georgian-Ossetian relations, were used. The findings show that despite the negative impact of the conflicts on the demographic composition, culture of coexistence, and mutual trust, there are still signs of everyday peace between Georgians and Ossetians. Attitudes such as avoiding sensitive issues related to the conflict, emphasizing the culture of coexistence, and attributing responsibility for the conflicts to political actors rather than to intergroup hostilities were listed among the practices of everyday peace in Georgian-Ossetian relations.

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