Armenian president on historic visit to Turkey

Armenian president on historic visit to Turkey

By Hande Culpan (AFP)

BURSA, Turkey — Armenian President President Serzh Sarkisian arrived in Turkey Wednesday to attend a World Cup football game as the two nations pressed ahead with efforts to overcome a bloody history.

Sarkisian flew in to the northwestern city of Bursa, just four days after Turkey and Armenia, backed by world powers, signed milestone deals aimed at ending decades of hostility and establishing formal ties.

Greeted at the airport by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Sarkisian smiled as he watched a brief performance by Turkish folk dancers.

Two former Armenian heads of state have visited Turkey in the past for international gatherings, but Sarkisian will be the first to come on a bilateral occasion.

The outcome of the World Cup qualifier on Wednesday evening is of no significance as both Armenia and Turkey are already out of the running for the 2010 finals, but the political stakes are high.

Wary that nationalist fans may spoil what is intended to be a show of bridge-building between Sarkisian and his host, Turkish President Abdullah Gul, the authorities have imposed stringent security measures and tough rules for spectators during the match.

Gul and Sarkisian were to hold talks and dine together before watching the match, together with UEFA President Michel Platini. A reception was to follow the game before Sarkisian flies back home.

The two nations have been estranged since World War I when, Armenians say, 1.5 million of their kin were killed by their Ottoman rulers in what was a genocide, a label Turkey fiercely rejects.

Swiss-mediated talks between Turkey and Armenia since August 2007 resulted Saturday in the signing of two protocols that pave the way for establishing official relations and opening the border between the two countries.

The deals still need parliamentary ratifications to take effect and the process is certain to be uphill as nationalists in both countries are opposed to the terms of the reconciliation.

For many Turks, fence-mending with Armenia amounts to selling out Azerbaijan, one of Ankara's closest allies, whose conflict with Armenia over the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region had led Turkey in 1993 to seal its border with Armenia.

Turkish officials have banned fans from chanting political slogans at the match and made it clear that the display of Azeri flags would be unwelcome, putting some 3,000 police on duty for the game.

In addition, plain clothes security officers have been assigned to sit among spectators in the stands to prevent any disturbance.

Ticket sales have been restricted, with most distributed to students of military academies, police and their families, according to media reports.

President Gul has met with leaders of fans groups to personally ask them not to overshadow the game and return the "hospitality" with which he himself was greeted when he travelled to Yerevan in September for the first-leg match.

In a gesture to their Armenian guests, the fans were expected to greet them in the stadium by singing a folk song about a blonde lover, which is popular in both Turkey and Armenia.

In a public appeal Tuesday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged fans to show hospitality and not give in to possible provocations.

He also renewed calls on Armenia to make peace with Azerbaijan over Nagorny Karabakh to make it easier for his government to move on the parliamentary ratification of the reconciliation deals.

Armenia however rejects any link between ties with Turkey and the conflict over Nagorny Karabakh.

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[TheKrds]

Cenk and Ana are smart people who know a great deal about the conflict between Turkey and Armenia. They are representative of the point of view of a majority of the Turkish- American and Armenian- American youth. Just because Cenk calls his show the Young Turks doesn't mean that he is a racist. For the love of god, Ana is one of his best friends.

[arenrules777]

keep the borders shut. This protocols dont mean anything to the Armenian People. We will never agree to any peace deals until it includes a turkish recognition of the Armenian Genocide

[meronmotors]

@arenrules777 post #2 what the turks did was horrible but armenians like to cover up in the United states what caused this. It was World War One and people were killing everywhere. The central powers were losing the war against the allies. So what are the armenians doing during all this? They were collaborating with the western allies!. The turks were outraged and we all know what the penalty of treason is...death. Its a shame they wiped out everyone though. Thats a war crime we know but its war

[meronmotors]

@arenrules777 They dont need, they had nothing to do with it...why should they take the embarresment? Everyone knows it most probably happend so thats all their is to it. No turks participated or know anyone who did. They had nothing to do with it. I dislike islam as much as the next guy but turks dont need to reckognize it. Armenians are hurting our relationship with turkey by making america reckognize it. Turkey is a much more important ally then armenia. I also would like to make a point

[bbphnix]

anyway nagornokarabakh should be part of azerbaijan... any fool can see that since everyone there is armenian! armenia use to include NK it was added to azerbijan because the moronic USSR liked playing around with other people's teritory

[bbphnix]

Turkey and Azerbayjan are assholes; sorry to say that but all evidence points in that direction; Turkey is a bully for not nly but also Cyprus; it's a bully, quite simply; aside from recognizing the genocide, i think turkey should go even further: there's terytory in turkey that should be part og armenia; at the very least mount ararat should be part of armenia; as for nagornokarabakh..... what buissness is it of turkey to help azerbaijan in the war? closing borders wih armenia? fuck that

[cvunit]

Turkey needs to man up and accept that shit, it happened decades ago, them accepting it, don't do much anyways.

[erdal0]

Armenian people are dying of hunger

[TURKPOPMV]

@nimrodhamadan 100% right about the Azerbaijan thing, they scream genocide when they've done it themselves just only recent (1992) rather than (1914) SHAME ON THEM!

[TURKPOPMV]

@MrSparky222 Armenians accept the reality of Nagorno-Karabagh being Azeri-Turk soil than we Turks can talk about opening up the border and the AR Genocide & war against the Soviets but till then the current issues that still stand need to be handled first. The thousands of displaced Azeris should get their land back FIRST, AR should get off of Azeri soil FIRST, then Turkey will take you seriously. Otherwise, AR's problems will mean nothing at all to TR. 1000s of Armenians n TR, 0 Turks n AR, why

[MrSparky222]

@yklocnykl lol suck my armenian cock u turkish gay....i dont expect for you to admit anything....your from turkey....a turkish gay motherfucker.....who doesnt accept reality....there will never be peace....FUCK YOU AND YOUR COUNTRY.....ill shit all over your pathetic country