The historic encounter came shortly after two protocols were signed last Saturday to normalize relations that have been suspended since Armenia's occupation of Azerbaijani territory in the early '90s and also due to Armenia's allegations that genocide took place at the hands of the Ottoman Empire in 1915. President Abdullah Gül and his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarksyan, watched the game together, drawing more attention to the stands than the pitch. Gül went to Yerevan in September of last year for the first match between the national teams of the two countries in a move that was widely described as courageous since ties between the two countries have been frozen for the past 17 years. Indicating that the atmosphere on Wednesday night in Bursa was filled more with politics than with soccer, Star's Ergun Babahan notes that the visits of the Turkish and Armenian presidents to each other's countries to watch soccer games between their national teams has been a turning point for relations between the estranged neighbors. “Even though the visits of both presidents have been very difficult and challenging after 94 years, they set a model not only for the nations of both countries but also for the entire region in that problems can be solved through talks, debates and negotiations. It is too early to say all the problems between Turkey and Armenia have been resolved, but as President Gül indicated at the reception held after the match, the distance covered cannot be ignored,” says Babahan. Regarding the fact that the match was uneventful despite fears that Turkish nationalists might increase tension during the match, Babahan says the match took place in an environment that befitted Turkish hospitality.
Hailing Turkey's efforts to confront its long-standing problems such as relations with Armenia and the Kurdish problem, he says: “Turkey has covered a very remarkable distance over the past eight years in its foreign policy and relations with its neighbors. Even though there are some problems, we can comfortably discuss the Armenian genocide and Kurdish problems today. The first step in reaching a solution involves accepting the existence of the problems. The steps taken by Turkey recently are ones that strengthen Turkey's position in the region, in Europe and in the world. Turkey is now a country that will solve its problems by recognizing them. It will overcome its complexes and strengthen its regional leadership in this way,” suggests Babahan.
“If you make an assessment, you will see how a soccer match leads to diplomatic opportunities,” says Akşam's İsmail Küçükkaya, who thinks President Gül's visit to Yerevan last year to watch the match was something that required more courage than Sarksyan coming to Bursa for the second match. “Once again, the green fields are reunited with the halls of diplomacy. The magic of football takes politicians under its spell just like it does the masses,” he states. In his view, the credibility of those who insist on the Armenian genocide allegations was dealt a heavy blow after the signatures in Zurich and the match in Bursa. “Following those warm dialogues and sincere efforts [for normalization], nobody's power will be sufficient to turn the ambiguities of the past into the hostilities of the 21st century,” suggests a hopeful Küçükkaya.
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