▁region . ▁ ▁Pos itions ▁ ▁The ▁Ott oman ▁deleg ation ▁expressed ▁the ▁wish ▁that ▁‘ Trans c au cas ia ▁should ▁proc laim ▁its ▁independence ▁and ▁announ ce ▁its ▁form ▁of ▁government ▁before ▁the ▁negoti ations ▁then ▁under ▁way ▁were ▁completed .' ▁The ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁wanted ▁to ▁break ▁down ▁the ▁bar rier ▁between ▁An atol ian ▁Muslim s ▁and ▁C au cas ian ▁Muslim s ▁and ▁to ▁‘ con sol id ate ▁the ▁unity ▁between ▁kind red ▁nations .’ ▁The ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ’ s ▁special ▁tasks ▁in ▁the ▁C au cas us , ▁R auf ▁Bey ▁re ass ured , ▁reflected ▁links ▁between ▁the ▁Empire ▁and ▁the ▁C au cas ian ▁pe op les ▁that ▁were ▁"... not ▁only ▁historical ▁and ▁ge ographical , ▁but ▁rather ▁ones ▁of ▁blood , ▁flow ing ▁from ▁their ▁common ▁past ." ▁▁ ▁A . ▁P ep in ov , ▁an ▁ad visor ▁to ▁the ▁Trans c au cas ian ▁deleg ation ▁and ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Muslim ▁National ▁Council , ▁suggested ▁setting ▁up ▁a ▁fourth , ▁separate ▁administrative ▁unit ▁consisting ▁of ▁the ▁Muslim ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁Bat um ▁and ▁K ars ▁regions . ▁‘ The ▁b onds ▁created ▁by ▁their ▁similar ities ▁of ▁race , ▁religion , ▁economy ▁and ▁every day ▁life ▁are ▁very ▁strong ▁and ▁it ▁will ▁be ▁very ▁hard ▁for ▁them ▁to ▁exist ▁without ▁each ▁other ’ ,’ ▁P ep in ov ▁argued ▁in ▁‘ ground ing ’ ▁that ▁wish . ▁ ▁After math ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁negoti ations