Gul's visit comes despite Ankara and Yerevan having no diplomatic relations [AFP]

Gul's arrival on Saturday in Yerevan, the Armenian capital,  marked the first visit to the country by a Turkish head of state since Armenian independence in 1991.

The two countries have long argued over Armenia's attempt to have recognised as genocide a massacre of hundreds of thousands of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during the First World War.

Hundreds of Armenians lined the route of Gul's motorcade to protest against Ankara’s refusal to consider the 1915-1917 atrocities as crimes against humanity.

Bardasar Akhpar, a demonstrator, said: "We are here because we want to tell the entire world that we do not forget the genocide of 1915.

"We will not welcome Gul nor any other Turk until they have recognised the genocide."

Breakthrough 'unlikely'

Gul was taken to meet Serzh Sakisian, the Armenian president, after being invited by him to attend a world Cup football qualifier between Armenia and Turkey at Yerevan's Hrazdan stadium.

The invitation was extended despite the fact the two countries do not share diplomatic relations.
 
Armenians say that up to 1.5 million of their people were slaughtered by Ottoman Turks as their empire fell apart at the height of the First World War.

Yerevan's claim has won support from several other countries.

Turkey rejects the accusation and says that 300,000-500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife after Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia.

'Lifting barriers'

Ali Babacan, Turkey’s foreign minister, said diplomatic ties between Ankara and Yerevan would be discussed between during talks between Gul and Sarkisian but he a major breakthrough was unlikely.

"I do not think we should raise expectations that high … But on the other hand, when we open the doors for dialogue, that means we are ready to talk about the problems," Babacan said.

"It is my wish that this match will help lift the barriers dividing two people who share a common history and will contribute to regional friendship and peace," Gul said ahead of his visit.

Turkey has refused to establish diplomatic ties with Armenia since the former Soviet republic gained independence.

Turkey also shut its border with Armenia in 1993  in a show of solidarity with its close ally Azerbaijan, then at war with Armenia over Nagorny Karabakh, a secessionist Armenian-majority region in Azerbaijan.

Recommend this article...

Did you enjoy this article? Please bookmark it onto: