MACEDONIAN FOOTBALLERS ARRIVAL IN ARMENIA QUESTIONABLE

PanARMENIAN.Net - Yesterday Turkish authorities did not let the plane conveying the Macedonian National Football Team to Armenia. The footballers were coming to Yerevan to participate in an elimination match of the World Championship-2006 scheduled for June 4. The plane of MAT airlines remained in the Turkish airspace for half an hour 20 kilometers short of the Armenian border and had to turn back. As A1 Macedonian TV Company reported that yesterday Turkish authorities apologized to MAT airlines assuring that similar incidents will not take place any more. According to Utrensky Vestnik Macedonian newspaper, Ankara explains the incident by the fact that the "crew did not have appropriate documents for crossing the Turkish airspace." At the same time Makfax conditioned the incident by the tension available between Armenia and Turkey. Presently Macedonian Football Federation is searching for ways for conveying the team to Armenia via another air route avoiding Turkey.