The clubs were believed to be the first soccer teams to sign the truce, which aims to end hostilities around the world during the 16 days of the games. The clubs said their signatures symbolized the increasingly warm relations between the two Aegean nations, which have come to the brink of war three times in the last 30 years."If we all live in peace for 16 days, maybe we can live in continuous peace," said Stavros Lambrinides, general director of the International Olympic Truce Center.

The truce was inspired by an ancient Greek tradition, which stopped warring parties from fighting during the Olympics so warriors could rest and participate in the games. The first to sign on were Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou and former Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. They have been joined by a number of athletes and dignitaries, including former South African President Nelson Mandela and former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Relations between Turkey and Greece have been warming since 1999, when deadly earthquakes struck both countries, leading to an outpouring of mutual aid and sympathy.

Last year, the heads of the countries' soccer federations agreed to make a joint bid to host the 2008 European soccer championship finals. The two weightlifting federations said they would train together for the 2004 Olympics in Athens.