First Ever Armenia Vs Turkey Match Tomorrow

FIRST EVER ARMENIA VS TURKEY MATCH TOMORROW

armradio.am
05.09.2008 15:16

The first ever match between the national teams of Armenia and
Turkey will take place at Hrazdan stadium of Yerevan of Yerevan at
9 p.m. tomorrow.

President Serzh Sargsyan of Armenia and President Abdullah Gul of
Turkey will attend the match. This will be the first ever visit of
the Turkish President to Armenia.

Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan invited Gul last month to attend
the qualifying match for the 2010 World Cup finals to mark "a new
symbolic start in the countries’ relations."

On September 4 Turkish President’s Press Office confirmed he would
visit Yerevan. "The visit can contribute to the establishment of a
new atmosphere of friendship and peace in the region," the official
press release noted.

"We hope that the upcoming match will help eliminate the obstacles
to the rapprochement of the two countries having common history
and will contribute to the improvement of mutual understanding,"
the document noted.

Gul will arrive in Yerevan two hours before the match and go directly
to the Office of Serzh Sargsyan. The meeting of two presidents is
expected to last for one hour. The Turkish delegation will leave
Yerevan as soon as the match ends.

Gul’s decision to visit Yerevan has been welcomed by many in the world.

The United States said Wednesday it hoped President Abdullah Gul
‘s planned historic visit to Yerevan would facilitate moves for an
eventual normalization of ties between Turkey and Armenia.

"We welcome President Gul’s decision to travel to Yerevan," Mark
Toner, spokesman for the U.S. State Department’s European bureau,
told the Turkish Daily News.

"We commend both presidents for their courage to take steps to
strengthen peace and prosperity throughout the region," he said.

"We hope this historic meeting will help build momentum toward the
full normalization of Turkey-Armenia relations," Toner said.

EU Commissioner for Enlargement Oli Rehn welcomed the decision of
Turkey’s President to attend the football game in Yerevan.

"I warmly welcome President Gul’s decision to attend the World Cup
qualifying match between Armenia and Turkey in Yerevan on Saturday. The
crisis in Georgia has underlined the importance of good neighborly
relations in the region, including Turkish-Armenian relations,"
Oli Rehn said.

The EU Commissioner expressed hope that President Gul’s important
first step will be soon followed by others that lead to a full
normalization of relations between these two countries, which would
enhance stability in the region and prepare the ground for strengthened
regional cooperation.

Meanwhile, Abdullah Gul’s decision to attend the football match between
the national teams of Armenia and Turkey in Yerevan met the severe
criticism of Turkey’s opposition Republica n People’s Party (CHP).

"In that case let him lay a wreath at the memorial to the Armenian
Genocide victims. He will thus make very happy all those who
persuaded him to make that step," Turkish opposition leader Deniz
Baykal declared.

Whatever, the fact is that the national football teams of Armenia
and Turkey will meet tomorrow, and Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and
Abdullah Gul will attend the match. Renowned singer Charles Aznavour
is arriving in Armenia today to attend the FIFA 2010 qualifying match
between the national football teams of Armenia and Turkey.