Radio France Internationale, France
Sept 8 2008
Football diplomacy bears fruit
Article published on the 2008-09-07 Latest update 2008-09-07 16:30 TU
Armenia and Turkey promise to overcome decades of hostility over the
massacre of Armeniand by Ottoman forces in the early 20th century. The
breakthrough came after the Turkish President Abduallah Gul visited
Armeniato watch an international football match between the two
countries’ sides.
Abudullah Gul on Saturday became the first Turkish president to visit
Armenia which declared independence from the former Soviet Union in
1997.
His visit was prompted by Armenia and Turkey playing a football World
Cup qualifier in the Armenian capital, Yerevan.
Gul met his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisian and the two men
agreed that there was what they called political will to improve their
non-existant ties.
The French president Nicolas Sarkozy described the visit as courageous
and historic.
Turkey had refused to recognise the First World War massacre of
Armenians by the Ottoman Army as a genocide. Up to one-and-a-half
million Armenians are believed to have been killed.
Turkey rejects the word "genocide" and says that just as many Turks as
Armenians – up to 500,000 – died in civil strife when Armenia sided
with invading Soviet troops and sought independence in eastern
Anatolia.
It seems now that channels for discussion are open.
Correspondent Nicole Pope told RFI that Gul’s visit could also serve
to increase Turkey’s weight in the region.
"Turkey… certainly is trying to prevent things in the Caucuses
deteriorating any further, so Turkey’s trying to talk both to Russia
and to Georgia… to promote some regional pact which would be boosted
if it could bring Armenia on board," she said.