Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Saturday that he expected the soccer match between Turkey and Armenia to help start dialogue between the two countries, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.
On his way to Yerevan, Gul said that Saturday's match could help in eradicating problems in relations between Turkey and Armenia.
Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic ties at present. Gul's on-going tour to Yerevan comes after Armenian President Serge Sarkisian invited him to watch Saturday's World Cup qualifying match between teams of the two countries, which is seen as a goodwill gesture.
"If the right climate is established, everyone will benefit from this," Gul was quoted as saying.
Gul also said that he would invite the Armenian President Serzh Sargsian to watch the Turkey-Armenia soccer match on Oct. 14 in Turkey.
Though Turkey recognized the state of Armenia soon after its independence, there have been no formal diplomatic ties between them currently.
Armenia has claimed that up to 1.5 million Armenians died as a result of "mass killing" during the Turkish Ottoman period between 1915 and 1923, but Turkey categorically rejects the "mass killing" accusation.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article