THESSALONIKI, Greece Galatasaray beat Paok Thessaloniki 2-0 on Thursday in a rare friendly between Greek and Turkish clubs organized to raise funds for Turkey's earthquake victims. The Galatasaray players made their way on to the pitch holding a banner which read: "We thank the Greek people for sharing our pain." They were given a standing ovation by the 17,000-strong crowd. Despite bitter exchanges over control of the Aegean and the divided island of Cyprus, Greece rushed rescue teams and supplies to Turkey within hours of the August 17 quake which killed more than 14,000 people and left tens of thousands homeless.

The gesture was praised in the Turkish press and relations between the two countries have markedly improved. "We thank you for this day, for being with us and supporting us during this difficult time," Galatasaray President Farouk Suren said. (Reuter)