PRESIDENT ABDULLAH GUL GOES TO ARMENIA

BIA
Sept 5 2008
Turkey

President Abdullah Gul has announced that he will be going to Erivan
for the soccer match between Armenia and Turkey. Gul thinks that this
step will contribute to a new atmosphere of friendship.

President Abdullah Gul has accepted Armenian President Serj Sarkisyan’s
invitation and is going to Armenia to watch the Armenia-Turkey soccer
match on September 6. Armenia and Turkey are in the same group for
the World Cup eliminations.

Gul’s decision was announced officially by the Presidency.

"The game means important opportunities" The announcement by the
Presidency says the following:

"This game is not simply a soccer game; it presents important
opportunities. It is believed that such an opportunity should be used
as best as possible, especially when the peoples of the Caucasian
region are going through trying times. The visit that will come with
this game may contribute to forming a new atmosphere of friendship. Our
President accepted this invitation with this in mind."

"Opportunity for both peoples to understand each other better"
"It is believed that the said game may present an opportunity to
remove the factors that block the rapprochement between these two
peoples with common history. It is hoped that this visit will create
an opportunity for these people to understand each other better."

Babacan is going, AKP deputies are not

With Gul, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan will go as well. Since it
will involve a soccer game, the visit will not be official, but in
the category of work visit.

The Justice and Development Party (AKP) did not give permission to its
own deputies to go to Erivan, the capitol city of Armenia. According
to daily Radikal, the party assembly told the deputies who wanted to
go to the game not to go to Erivan in accordance with Prime Minister
Tayyip Erdogan’s directive.