Turkish TRT TV to air Armenia soccer match

The Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) will air a World Cup qualifying match between the Turkish and Armenian national teams on Saturday, TRT officials have announced.

A nine-member TRT team will travel to Armenia to cover the game.

But while in Armenia, they will also have interviews with Armenian nationals in the capital city of Yerevan and prepare news features to give the Turkish audience a better insight into daily life in this neighboring country.

The TRT recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Armenia's state-owned Public Television Company to cooperate in a number of areas.

The document, signed in Ankara on Aug. 26, envisages that the two broadcasters will produce TV programs that will help improve dialogue between Turkey and Armenia, exchange information and experiences and collaborate on entertainment and drama programs and documentaries.

News reports in Azerbaijani media said last week that the first radio broadcast was organized by Turkish Armenians in the early 1900s.

Galatasaray mandates Goldman to restructure

Galatasaray said it had also agreed with Goldman Sachs on issuing a $50 million bond, which could extend to $70 million.

Turkey's Soccer club Galatasaray said on Friday it has mandated investment bank Goldman Sachs to help restructure the Turkish league champion and obtain a $100 million loan.

Galatasaray said in a statement it had also agreed with Goldman Sachs on issuing a $50 million bond, which could extend to $70 million.

Source:Reuters

Turkish national soccer team in Armenia

Photo:AA

Turkish national soccer team arrived on Friday in Armenia for their first match in 2010 World Cup qualifying group.

Turkey and Armenia will compete in group five together with Spain, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Estonia.

Turkish Soccer Federation Chairman Mahmut Ozgener said Turkey would have challenging games with Armenia.

"But we want to get six points in these two games," Ozgener was quoted as saying by Anatolian Agency.

Turkish president Abdullah Gul to attend soccer match in Armenia

Turkish President Abdullah Gul will travel Saturday to Armenia to watch a World Cup soccer qualifying match between the two countries -- a move promoted as a step toward bolstering relations between neighbor nations with a long history of animosity.

"We believe such visit will contribute to the creation of a warmer friendship climate in the region," said a statement from Gul's office, which added Armenian President Serj Sarkisyan extended the invitation. "Our president has accepted the invitation with this understanding," it said.

"It is also hoped this visit will offer the opportunity for the citizens of two nations to understand each other better."

Gul would be the first Turkish head of state to visit Armenia, which was a Soviet republic until 1991, in an official capacity.

The neighboring nations in the Caucasus region, straddling Europe and the Middle East, have no official diplomatic relations and their shared border has has been closed since 1993.

Much of the animosity stems from mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I.

Armenians call the killings genocide. Historians estimate about 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the Ottoman Empire -- the predecessor to modern Turkey -- during the war.

Turkey, which is now a secular and democratic Muslim nation, calls the killings part of the natural course of war, says far fewer than 1.5 million Armenians were killed and says a comparable number of Turks died in the conflict.

Last year, members of the U.S. House of Representatives sponsored a resolution that would have declared the killings an act of genocide. But, under pressure from the Bush administration, House leaders dropped plans for a vote.

The administration was trying to persuade Turkey not to launch cross-border raids into Iraq against Kurdish rebels and Turkey had threatened to curtail U.S. access to military bases used to support U.S. troops in Iraq if the resolution had passed.

In 2005, Turkey moved away from its historical position of blanket denial -- calling for an "open investigation" by scholars from both countries into the genocide allegations. The Armenian government has declined to take part, calling it a political maneuver.

When the soccer match was announced last year -- the first time the two nations have played each other in soccer at the highest level -- questions were raised as to whether tensions would be too high for the game to be played as planned.

But political and sports leaders from both nations quickly moved to play down the political implications of the match, in which Turkey is heavily favored.

"You cannot play a game thinking about those things," Turkish coach Fatih Terim told the Turkish Daily News. "We cannot carry the weight of history on our shoulders."

Source: wires

Turkey(Turkiye) squad for World Cup qualifiers ..

Turkey's 28-man squad for the upcoming 2010 World Cup qualifying matches against Armenia and Belgium has been announced today.

Turkey will play Armenia on 6 September at Hrazdan Stadium in Yerevan at 21.00 with local time, while they will host Belgium at FB Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium on 10 September at 21.00.

Turkish squad will gather in Istanbul Swissotel on 31 August Sunday at 12.00. They will travel to Armenian capital Yerevan with a charter flight at 09.30. Team camp hotel will be Goldenpalace Hotel and following the end of the game, the national team will return to Turkey.

Turkey coach Fatih Terim will make hold three press conferences on the eve of the games. On 2 September and 9 September at 12.00 in İstanbul Swissotel Terim will be speaking to the media. On 5 September, Terim will hold MD-1 press conference at Hrazdan Stadium at 19.30 with local time.

Turkey's training schedule is as follows

31.08.2008 - 19.30 (Inönü Stadium- Closed to media)
01.09.2008 - 11.00 (Ali Sami Yen Stadium - Closed to media)
02.09.2008 - 19.30 (Ali Sami Yen Stadium - Open to media)
03.09.2008 - 19.30 (Inönü Stadium - Open for max. 15 minutes to media)
04.09.2008 - 19.30 (Ali Sami Yen Stadium - Closed to media)
05.09.2008 - 18.00 (Hrazdan Stadium- Open for max. 15 minutes to media)
07.09.2008 - 19.30 (Ali Sami Yen Stadium - Open to media)
08.09.2008 - 19.30 (Inönü Stadı - Closed to media)
09.09.2008 - 20.00 (FB Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium - Open for max. 15 minutes to media)

Hamit Altıntop, Nihat Kahveci, Sabri Sarıoğlu, Emre Güngör and Caner Erkin was excluded from the squad due to their injuries.

Turkey squad




GOALKEEPERS




1-


VOLKAN DEMİREL


FENERBAHÇE

2-


SERDAR KULBİLGE


KOCAELİSPOR

3-


TOLGA ZENGİN


TRABZONSPOR





DEFENDERS




4-


GÖKHAN GÖNÜL


FENERBAHÇE

5-


UĞUR KAVUK


ANTALYASPOR

6-


SERVET ÇETİN


GALATASARAY

7-


İBRAHİM KAŞ


GETAFE

8-


MEHMET POLAT


GAZİANTEPSPOR

9-


GÖKHAN ZAN


BEŞİKTAŞ

10-


HAKAN KADİR BALTA


GALATASARAY

11-


ÇAĞLAR BİRİNCİ


DENİZLİSPOR

12-


UĞUR BORAL


FENERBAHÇE





MIDFIELDERS




13-


KAZIM KAZIM


FENERBAHÇE

14-


SERDAR ÖZKAN


BEŞİKTAŞ

15-


GÖKDENİZ KARADENİZ


RUBIN KAZAN

16-


MEHMET TOPUZ


KAYSERİSPOR

17-


AYHAN AKMAN


GALATASARAY

18-


MEHMET AURELIO


REAL BETIS

19-


EMRE BELÖZOĞLU


FENERBAHÇE

20-


SELÇUK İNAN


TRABZONSPOR

21-


NURİ ŞAHİN


DORTMUND

22-


MEHMET TOPAL


GALATASARAY

23-


TUNCAY ŞANLI


MIDDLESBROUGH

24-


ARDA TURAN


GALATASARAY





FORWARDS




25-


HALİL ALTINTOP


SCHALKE 04

26-


MEVLUT ERDİNÇ


SOCHAUX

27-


SEMİH ŞENTÜRK


FENERBAHÇE

28-


GÖKHAN ÜNAL


TRABZONSPOR

Source:TFF

Umit Ozat collapses in Cologne victory

Cologne overcame the shock of seeing captain Umit Ozat collapse during the game to earn their first win of the Bundesliga season with a 2-0 victory at Karlsruhe on Friday.
Cologne captain Umit Ozat is stretchered off the pitch during the 2-0 Bundesliga victory over Karlsruhe.


The Turkish defender fell to the ground in the 27th minute and was taken to hospital for checks.

Ozat lost consciousness and medics treated him for several minutes on the field before taking him out on a stretcher.

Coach Christoph Daum and goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon were crying while the captain was being treated.

Cologne general manager Michael Meier said that Ozat was able to communicate shortly after the incident and that he was being examined at a local hospital. "I hope the situation is not as serious as it may have looked," Meier said.

It was later confirmed that the 31-year-old was being kept in hospital overnight for observation and Daum confirmed; "It does not look so dramatic now."

The game was interrupted for about five minutes and referee Florian Meyer consulted Cologne players before resuming play.

Coming back after the break, Milivoje Novakovic scored his third goal of the season in the 72nd and Sergiu Radu sealed Cologne's victory in the 84th minute.

Source: Wires

OFFICIAL: JOSICO SIGNS WITH FENERBAHCE

Fenerbahce have continued to strengthen their squad by signing Spanish midfielder José Joaquín Moreno Verdú (also known as Josico) from Villareal. Josico has arrived in Istanbul today to sign the official contract and get ready for the upcoming matches.

''I'm so happy to be here in Istanbul. I have already known Güiza and Aragonés, so I do not think that it will be hard for me to get used to Fenerbahce. Everyone tells how fantastic Fenerbahce fans are, so I know that they are the best. There are three long roads ahead of us: the Champions League, Turkish league and Turkish Cup. All I want to do is to help my team in the best way I can.'', revealed Josico today on FB TV.
Source:www.Fenerbahce.org