MP: Ankara may again use "football diplomacy" with Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Akif Cagatay Kiliç, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Commission of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (Parliament), has said that Ankara may again resort to "football diplomacy" in the process of normalizing relations with Armenia, RIA Novosti reports.

"Football matches between the national teams of the two countries will be held on March 25 in Armenia and in September in Turkey (as part of the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying tournament - Ed.),” Star cited Kiliç as saying on Monday, October 17.

“Our team will travel there, maybe we will too. The normalization process is going positively. Positive dynamics observed in relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This must be done without resorting to provocations."

In September 2008, ex-President of Turkey Abdullah Gul arrived in Yerevan at the invitation of the then President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan to a football match of the qualifying tournament for the World Cup between the national teams of Armenia and Turkey. Later, Sargsyan, at the suggestion of Gul, attended the return match Turkey - Armenia, which took place in October 2009 in the city of Bursa. Negotiations between the Armenian and Turkish delegations were also held there, followed by a meeting of the presidents. The process of normalizing relations, which was later interrupted, was known as the "football diplomacy".