87 Minutes Project
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The 87 Minutes Project ( el, 87 Λεπτά; tr, 87 Dakika) is a Greco-Turkish initiative seeking to improve relations between the two nations through events, partnerships and dialogue. The project became internationally well known for the successful resurrection of an historic soccer match played between
F.C. Lailapas Lailapas Football Club ( el, Αθλητικός Ποδοσφαιρικός Σύλλογος Λαίλαπας; transliterated ''Athlitikos Podosfairikos Syllogos Lailapas''), is a Greek football club based in Chios, Greece currently competing in th ...
of Greece and
Karşıyaka S.K. Karşıyaka Spor Kulübü (English: Karşıyaka Sports Club) also known as Karşıyaka is a Turkish sports club located in Karşıyaka, Izmir. Founded in 1912, they are Izmir's oldest club. Like all others in Turkey; the "SK" suffix refers to ''s ...
of Turkey in December 1930, but abandoned after just three minutes due to bad weather.


Background

Following decades of hostility between the two nations, the Ankara Convention of October 1930 ushered in a period of rapprochement, with Prime Minister of Greece
Eleftherios Venizelos Eleftherios Kyriakou Venizelos ( el, Ελευθέριος Κυριάκου Βενιζέλος, translit=Elefthérios Kyriákou Venizélos, ; – 18 March 1936) was a Greek statesman and a prominent leader of the Greek national liberation movem ...
and President of Turkey
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, or Mustafa Kemal Pasha until 1921, and Ghazi Mustafa Kemal from 1921 Surname Law (Turkey), until 1934 ( 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish Mareşal (Turkey), field marshal, Turkish National Movement, re ...
signing agreements on a number of key questions, above all trade. It was suggested also that sporting and cultural initiatives ought to be pursued as a means of bringing people and organizations together from both sides. Against this backdrop, it was arranged that F.C. Lailapas and Karşıyaka S.K., champions of Chios and Izmir respectively, should meet in December 1930 for what would be the first match between Greek and Turkish football teams since the
Treaty of Lausanne The Treaty of Lausanne (french: Traité de Lausanne) was a peace treaty negotiated during the Lausanne Conference of 1922–23 and signed in the Palais de Rumine, Lausanne, Switzerland, on 24 July 1923. The treaty officially settled the conflic ...
and subsequent population exchange. However, although the two teams took to the field of play on 8 December in Chios Town, torrential rain forced the match's abandonment after only three minutes. Further attempts to play the match were never made.


87 Minutes, 84 Years Later

In October 2013, the 87 Minutes Project was launched. On establishment, its stated aim was the revival of the abandoned match. Furthermore, it was symbolically proposed that the two teams play exactly eighty-seven minutes. Officials from both clubs met and a date of Saturday 10 May 2014 was agreed upon. As in 1930, Chios would be the venue for the match. The announcement generated considerable media interest in Greece and Turkey, with many national newspapers running the story. The match was attended by a large number of dignitaries, including both ambassadors, the mayors of Izmir and Chios, the heads of both national Football Associations and other officials. In a symbolic gesture, former Turkish international and current Karşıyaka S.K. head coach,
Yusuf Şimşek Yusuf Şimşek (born July 20, 1975) is a Turkish association football, football manager and former player. He most recently served as the manager of Balıkesirspor. Club career Fenerbahçe SK During his time at Fenerbahçe, his teammate Ariel O ...
started the game for Lailapas whilst mayor of
Karşıyaka Karşıyaka () is a district of İzmir Province in Turkey. The district extends for twelve kilometres along the northern and eastern coastline of the tip of the Gulf of İzmir. Its centre is at a distance of to the north from the traditional cen ...
, Huseyin Mutlu Akpinar played the opening fifteen minutes for Karşıyaka S.K. Both scored as the game ended 5-5. Before the end of the game however, Turkish fans invaded the pitch and stole the football. The fans requested that the match should remain unfinished in order that "the friendship between the people might continue forever". Both sides consented to end the match at this point, shortly before the eighty-seven minutes were completed. In a ceremony that took place the following day, F.C. Lailapas and Karşıyaka S.K. officially became the first Greek and Turkish football teams to be twinned.


Impact

The 87 Minutes Project was widely praised by media outlets around the globe, whilst Greek and Turkish newspapers heralded the event as a significant milestone in Greek-Turkish relations.https://fr.sports.yahoo.com/news/match-football-long-monde-dur%C3%A9-131510475--spt.html That the match attracted such interest was seen as indicative of an increasing desire on both sides to reconcile long-held differences and establish closer ties. On the weekend of 10 May an unprecedented number of Turkish supporters and tourists visited the island for the match, while a large catamaran was chartered to carry the visitors back and forth from Çeşme. This represented a first for Chios which has since seen a marked rise in tourism from Turkey.{{cite web, url=http://www.chiospress.gr/koinonia/37242-gemise-tourkous-i-xios, title=ΓΕΜΙΣΕ ΤΟΥΡΚΟΥΣ Η ΧΙΟΣ - ChiosPress.gr, publisher=chiospress.gr, access-date=2014-08-05


Future

The 87 Minutes Project has declared that it will continue to pursue other initiatives with the aim of strengthening relations between the two nations. Recently, 87 Minutes proposed the twinning of the Izmir and Chios municipalities on the basis of common heritage.


References

* * * * 2013 in Greek sport 2013 in Turkish sport Football in Greece Football in Turkey Greece–Turkey relations Chios