TURKEY: NO DECISION YET ON PRESIDENT ATTENDING FOOTBALL GAME IN ARMENIA

PR-Inside.com
July 16 2008
Austria

Turkey’s foreign minister says no decision has been made on whether
the president will accept Armenia’s invitation to attend a football
game between their national teams.

Ali Babacan says President Abdullah Gul’s attendance will depend on
"developments that occur between today and the match date.

The two countries have no diplomatic relations and their joint border
has been closed for years.

Turkey objects to Armenian forces’ occupation of Azerbaijan’s
Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenia also insists the deaths of about
1.5 million ethnic Armenians in the early 20th century should be
recognized as genocide.

Turkey will play Armenia in a World Cup qualifier on Sept. 6.