HISTORIC VISIT BY PRESIDENT GUL MAKES FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 000703 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR A/S FRIED, DAS BRYZA, AND EUR/CARC E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV TU AM SUBJECT: HISTORIC VISIT BY PRESIDENT GUL MAKES FOR MEMORABLE NIGHT IN YEREVAN REF: YEREVAN 700 Classified By: CDA Joseph Pennington for reasons 1.4(B)(D) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- 1.(C) An historic visit to Armenia by Turkish President Abdullah Gul on September 6 went smoothly despite a series of street protests by around 1,000 supporters of the ultra-nationalist Dashnaktsutyun. The Turkey-Armenia World Cup qualifying match, to which Gul was invited by Armenian President Serzh Sargsian, was a politically charged but largely festive event that came off without serious incident. Although some Armenian fans whistled or booed during the playing of the Turkish national anthem, the introduction of President Gul to the crowd was greeted by more cheers than jeers. During a brief meeting with CDA during halftime of the match, both presidents expressed appreciation for US support for the visit. The atmospherics between the presidents and foreign ministers seemed relaxed and positive. Other Turkish and Armenian officials we spoke with informally during the match expressed relief that the visit had gone so well and satisfied that something tangible had been achieved. As expected, Turkey won the match 2-0, with both goals coming midway through the second half. End summary. -------------- HISTORY COMES TO YEREVAN -------------- 2.(SBU) As President Gul's motorcade sped past the embassy at about 5 pm on September 6 with the Turkish flag flying, it was clear that this would be no ordinary night in Yerevan. Gul, who had been invited to Armenia to watch the Turkey-Armenia world Cup qualifier later that evening, had already passed by a number of protesters organized by the ultra-nationalist Dashnaktsutyun, which had vowed to "remind" him about the Armenian genocide. Other groups of Dashnak protesters -- we estimate a total of 1,000-1,500 -- staged small demonstrations in central Yerevan and near the Presidential Palace. Some protesters held placards calling for genocide recognition by Turkey, while others simply advocated an opening of Turkey's closed border with Armenia. All of the protests were peaceful, and were kept under tight control by significant numbers of police. Our senior political specialist, who observed one of the downtown protests, noted that most passersby were critical of the demonstrators, arguing that the Turkish President was a guest of Armenia and should be treated with respect. 3.(U) Following Gul's hour-long meeting with Sargsian, the two presidents made positive statements at a joint press appearance. Sargsian said he had "expressed the hope that we will be able to solve issues between our countries and not pass them on to future generations." "I saw a readiness and a desire to establish stability and peace in the region, about which I am very pleased," Sargsian said. Gul responded that "we displayed the political will to create an atmosphere for the solution of issues between Armenia and Turkey. I hope that my visit will create an opportunity for the resolution of bilateral relations." President Gul expressed gratitude for Sargsian's invitation, and welcomed his support for Turkey's newly announced Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform. -------------- JEERS AND CHEERS AT HRAZDAN STADIUM -------------- 4.(U) Following a dinner for the two delegations that featured a performance by world-renowned duduk player (and Academy Award winner) Djivan Gasparian, the presidents made their way to Hrazdan Stadium, where roughly 40,000 fans had already gathered for the match. Security was extremely tight, as thousands of police were on hand to screen fans, search bags, and confiscate political signs and placards. When the two presidents were introduced to the crowd just before game time, President Gul received more cheers than jeers, and President Sargsian was greeted with a thunderous ovation. The two presidents waved to the crowd from behind bulletproof glass and were given extended applause. 5.(U) Moments later, some in the crowd started to whistle as the two countries' flags were carried on to the field. The whistling and booing grew louder as the Turkish national anthem began to play. The jeering died down about halfway through the anthem, the final strains of which were heard YEREVAN 00000703 002 OF 002 clearly throughout the stadium. A few Armenian fans protested the anthem silently by remaining seated, but in at least one instance we observed Armenian police instructing fans to rise to their feet out of respect to the visitors. Despite the best efforts of police, several signs did appear in the crowd during the playing of the anthems, though the messages were largely obscured by a fierce wind that had kicked up late in the day. The word "restitution" was clearly visible on one sign, and "recognition" formed part of the message on another. The Turkish and Armenian flags flew side by side throughout the match on the large electronic scoreboard at one end of the field. Once the match was underway, thoughts of politics faded as the atmosphere turned festive. Armenian fans cheered long and loud for the home team, but there were no anti-Turkish chants and no further protest efforts. -------------- PRESIDENTS APPEAR RELAXED, POSITIVE -------------- 6.(C) During halftime, CDA and his spouse were invited to join the two presidents, their foreign ministers, and the FMs' spouses in a reception room behind the viewing stand. The atmosphere was relaxed, light-hearted and positive. FM Nalbandian, whom we suspect was under heavy pressure from Sargsian to ensure the visit took place, was beaming throughout. Both Gul and Sargsian expressed appreciation for US support for the visit. Informal conversations with other Armenian and Turkish officials during the match indicated that both sides were pleased -- and perhaps a bit relieved -- that things had gone so smoothly. They also exuded a clear sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, and made no effort to downplay the significance of the moment. -------------- COMMENT -------------- 7.(C) Although it is too early to assess the impact of the Gul visit on the future of Turkish-Armenian relations, the event created an excitement in Yerevan not seen in many years. Cafes around central Republic Square were full until the wee hours as Turks, Armenians, and Turkish-Armenians shared impressions of what they had seen and what it may mean. Even some strongly anti-Turkish diaspora Armenians who came specifically for the match were hard pressed to deny the powerful symbolism of the day's events. Expectations have clearly been raised on the Armenian side -- a fact that will eventually put pressure on President Sargsian to turn the excitement of the moment into concrete results. PENNINGTON