TURKEY’S ARMENIANS THRILLED WITH VISIT

Today’s Zaman
Sept 5 2008
Turkey

The Armenian Patriarchate of Ä°stanbul as well as individual Armenian
citizens of Turkey have lauded President Abdullah Gul’s decision
to travel to Yerevan over the weekend to watch a match between the
Turkish and Armenian national football teams along with his Armenian
counterpart, Serzh Sarksyan, who issued the invitation.

The patriarchate, in a written statement released yesterday, first of
all said that sports was by its very nature an activity that directs
people towards peace and fraternity. "… In this regard, we hope the
Armenia-Turkey national football match to be played in Armenia’s city
of Yerevan on Sept, 6, 2008 will be an occasion for the improvement
of mutual friendship and neighborhood relations for the peoples of
both countries, which share a common geography," the patriarchate said.

In the Kumkapı district of İstanbul, Hanefi Demirci, a Turkish-born
Armenian, said Gul’s visit could help build bridges of friendship
between Armenia and Turkey. Reacting against opposition leaders who
suggested that Gul’s visit would help nothing but would instead damage
Turkey’s honor, Demirci said they were "confusing sports and politics
with each other."

Cesur Yıldız, another Armenian citizen of Turkey, said friendship
between Armenia and Turkey would bring advantages to both countries.

Murat Ekmekcioglu, a jeweler at the Grand Bazaar, said he believed
the visit was very important for building a friendship between the
two countries. He added that this friendship would be beneficial for
both Armenia and Turkey. In the central Anatolian province of Kayseri,
Karnik Teke, an 83-year-old Armenian citizen of Turkey, also applauded
Gul’s decision to go to Yerevan.

"The fact that Abdullah Gul is from Kayseri, that he is from our
city, pleases us. Gul’s attitude is a step toward friendship, for
peace. This should be followed [by other steps]," Teke told the
Anatolia news agency yesterday.

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