Flower Power: Turks plan to decorate stadium with 70,000 carnations for Armenia soccer gam

Flower Power: Turks plan to decorate stadium with 70,000 carnations for Armenia soccer game

By Suren Musayelyan

ArmeniaNow reporter

Published: 01 July, 2009


Turkey is preparing a large-scale floral greeting to Armenias national soccer team and few fans that will be traveling across the border for a return World Cup 2010 qualifier this fall, according to a Turkish newspaper report.

Turkeys Todays Zaman reports that 70,000 carnations will decorate the Turkey v Armenia soccer match that will take place in Kayseris Kadir Has stadium on October 14, with two carnations put on each seat in the stadium, which has a capacity of 33,000.

The newspaper quotes Mustafa Erengul, director-general of Flower Production and Marketing Corporation that will be decorating the stadium, as saying that flowers are the language of love.

Recep Gedik, Chairman of Turkeys Interflora Florists Association, says the event will help improve relations between Turkey and Armenia.

The first-leg World Cup 2010 qualifier between Armenia and Turkey in Yerevan on September 6, 2008 marked the beginning of a thaw in relations between the two estranged nations.

In early 2009, Armenia and Turkey received a Fair Play award from international footballs governing body, FIFA, for their contributions to world peace through the match in Yerevan.