President Abdullah Gül has accepted Armenian President Serj Sarkisyan’s invitation and is going to Armenia to watch the Armenia-Turkey soccer match on September 6. Armenia and Turkey are in the same group for the World Cup eliminations.

Gül’s decision was announced officially by the Presidency.

“The game means important opportunities”

The announcement by the Presidency says the following:

“This game is not simply a soccer game; it presents important opportunities. It is believed that such an opportunity should be used as best as possible, especially when the peoples of the Caucasian region are going through trying times. The visit that will come with this game may contribute to forming a new atmosphere of friendship. Our President accepted this invitation with this in mind.” 

“Opportunity for both peoples to understand each other better”

“It is believed that the said game may present an opportunity to remove the factors that block the rapprochement between these two peoples with common history. It is hoped that this visit will create an opportunity for these people to  understand each other better.”

Babacan is going, AKP deputies are not

With Gül, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan will go as well. Since it will involve a soccer game, the visit will not be official, but in the category of work visit.

The Justice and Development Party (AKP) did not give permission to its own deputies to go to Erivan, the capitol city of Armenia. According to daily Radikal, the party assembly told the deputies who wanted to go to the game not to go to Erivan in accordance with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan’s directive.(TK/TB)