TURKEY, ARMENIA CONTINUE DIPLOMACY "GAME"
By Ayhan Simsek
Southeast European Times
16/10/2009
Four days after a historic agreement between Turkey and Armenia was
signed, the countries’ leaders met up for a football match.
A symbolically important football match between Turkey and Armenia
on Wednesday (October 14th) boosted hopes for normalising relations
between the two neighbours.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan paid his first visit to Turkey,
at the invitation of Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, and the two
watched the match side-by-side, chatting throughout the game.
Sargsyan’s visit came four days after the signing in Zurich of
historic agreements between the two countries, aimed at establishing
diplomatic relations and opening the border. The two protocols, signed
by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Armenian counterpart
Edward Nalbandian, mark the first bilateral agreement between the
neighbours in about 88 years.
The "football" meeting between Sargsyan and Gul has been interpreted
by local media as signs of further warming between the countries and
growing confidence in the process.
Tension was high before and during the match in Bursa, a former
capital of the Ottoman Empire. Officials feared protests or violence
by ultra-nationalists or hooligans. Heavy security prevented any
major problems before or after the match, which Turkey won 2-0.
The rapprochement between the two countries has been met with
opposition from nationalists in both countries — particularly
Armenia. Sargsyan was under strong pressure not to visit Turkey and
initiate the process of normalisation.
In Turkey, the government is under strong criticism by the
opposition for selling out strong ally Azerbaijan. The Karabakh
region of Azerbaijan has been under Armenian occupation since 1993. In
response, Turkey closed its border with Armenia as a sign of support
for Azerbaijan.
Ankara had long insisted that after Armenia moves towards a settlement
in Karabakh, it would open t border with its northeast neighbour.
But the protocols signed in Zurich on October 10th foresee the
establishment of diplomatic relations and opening the border without
any direct reference to Karabakh. Armenia insists that its ties with
Turkey are not linked to its conflict with Azerbaijan.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted this week that
there will still be progress towards a solution in Karabakh to ensure
that the signed agreements with Armenia are realised.
The agreements must be ratified by the both countries’ parliaments
before taking effect.
This content was commissioned for SETimes.com
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
