Turkish President Attends Soccer Match To Improve Relations With Armenia

Ankara, Turkey (AHN) - Turkish President Abdullah Gul made a landmark visit on Saturday by being the first leader to set foot in neighboring Armenia.

Turkish president arrived into the capital from Yerevan airport to see his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisian and to attend a World Cup qualifying match between the two national teams that have never played each other before.

But hundreds of protesters did not like the President Gul visiting Armenia as the two countries have no diplomatic relations over past disputes.

Armenia was engaged with Turkey to recognize the 1915-1917 (World War I) massacre of hundreds of thousands of Armenian civilians by Ottoman forces as genocide.

Before he arrived in the capital city of Yerevan, Gul said that Saturday's match would help resolve disputes and lift the barriers that divided Turkey and Armenia.

Turkish President also said that he would extend an invitation to the Armenian President Sargsian to watch the Turkey-Armenia soccer match on Oct. 14 in Turkey.