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Associated Press

Turkey, Armenia to sign deal for ties

Associated Press, 09.27.09, 11:52 AM EDT

ANKARA, Turkey — The Turkish premier says Turkey and Armenia will
sign a deal to establish diplomatic ties on Oct. 10.

The two had said last month they would conclude discussions to
normalize relations by mid-October, though a major dispute remains
over the World War I-era massacre of up to 1.5 million Armenians under
the Ottoman Empire. Turkey insists it wasn’t a genocide and that the
death toll is inflated.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday that the deal
would be signed by the countries’ foreign ministers, but it must be
approved by the countries’ parliaments before taking effect.

The deal also foresees the reopening of the Turkish-Armenian border.

The Turkish and Armenian soccer teams will meet in an Oct. 14 World
Cup qualifier.

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