YEREVAN (AFP) — Armenia and Turkey pledged to overcome decades of enmity over the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces after Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s pathbreaking visit to Yerevan for a football match.
Gul, the first Turkish president to visit Armenia, Saturday held talks with counterpart Serzh Sarkisian after which the two agreed there was the “political will” to improve ties frozen for decades over the 1915-1917 massacres by Turkish troops.
The visit was hailed by French and EU President Nicolas Sarkozy as “courageous and historic.”
“I believe that my visit was fruitful and that it promises hope for the future,” Gul said after returning to Ankara, adding that he had a constructive and sincere” meeting with Sarkisian.
He said he had won Yerevan’s support for a new regional grouping in the Caucasus following last month’s conflict between Georgia and Russia.
“I was happy to see that we were unanimous with the Armenian side on the need for mutual dialogue to remove barriers to improving bilateral ties.
AFP: Turkey, Armenia vow to end traditional enmity after Gul’s visit.