Merinews, India
Sept 7 2008

Protest over Turkish president’s visit to Armenia

Hundreds of Armenians carrying placards condemned the visit of Turkish
president to Armenia. The two countries pledged to overcome decades of
enmity over the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces after Turkish
president’s path breaking visit..

IN HIS first visit to Armenia to watch a football match on Saturday
(September 6), Abdullah Gul, the Turkish President, was greeted by
vehement protests by the Armenian citizens. The football match was an
attempt by the concerned authorities in order to improve the relations
between the two neighbouring countries.

The football match was scheduled to be held on Saturday (September 6),
between Turkey and Armenia at the Hrazdan stadium in Yerevan. It was
also a first visit to Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia by a
Turkish head of the state since Armenia gained independence in 1991.

There has been a political controversy between the two countries for a
long period over the massacre of hundreds of thousands of Armenians by
Ottoman Turks during the First World War.

At least hundreds of Armenians stood with placards in the route of
Gul’s motorcade and demonstrated a vehement protest against the
Turkish premiere. This protest-march took place as Ankara denied to
consider the atrocities as crimes against humanity during 1915 to
1917. Later, Gul met Serzh Sarkisian, the Armenian president and
offered the Armenian head to watch a return football match between the
two countries in Turkey next month. Gul even stated at a press
conference in Yerevan that all possible efforts would be taken to
maintain an amicable relationship between the two states despite
protest from Armenian civilians.

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