Establishment of relations between Turkey and Armenia was launched before a football match was held between squads of the countries, Turkish Prime-Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told media before leaving for Iraq, CNN Turk TV channel reported.
The final match of selected stage of World Championship 2010 on Football between Turkey and Armenia was completed scoring 2:0 in favor of Turkey.
Turkish squad launched score at the 18-th minute after Altintop completed handing over from flank by exact kick.
Full-back Servet Cetin scored a goal at the 29-th minute by increasing gap in score up to 2.
The match between teams of two countries was held at the Ataturk stadium in Bursa.
Turkish and Armenian President Abdullah Gul and Serzh Sargsyan, as well as UEFA president Michel Platini watched the match. About 400 local and international media outlets reported about the match. About 12 TV channels broadcasted the match live.
Armenian President Sargsyan's visit is a very important factor despite Armenian world lobby's pressure, Turkish Prime-Minister said.
"I think that the match was held peacefully. Armenia felt hospitality of Turkish people," Erdogan said.
He said that the population of Bursa demonstrated unity between Turkish people and the government.
Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward Nalbandian signed the protocol Ankara-Yerevan to resume diplomatic relations and open the border in Zurich on October 10.
Armenian-Turkish diplomatic ties have been severed in 1993 due to Armenia's claims of an alleged genocide, and its occupation of Azerbaijani lands.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7 districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
