"Karabakh issue is a serpentine road but peace in this issue can be achieved step by step," the statement came from Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in an interview with Turkish NTV channel, according to 1news.az
The minister said peace-building is a very complex process, depending on many different parameters which cannot be controlled at the same time.
"A single shell can destroy the ceasefire in Karabakh", the Turkish Minister said. All the same, he noted that the statement of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip "on the events of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire cannot be perceived as a leverage of pressure on relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan."
The minister noted that "the text of Erdogan's statement must turn into a source of reference of those who analyze the events of 1915."
"Probably, we did not receive the desired reaction of Armenians to the statement of the premier but this does not mean that Ankara plans to reject condolences, because human factor in this issue is the most important for us. In addition, the reaction of the third parties who will be obliged to review their position in relation of the events in the Ottoman Empire is also critical", Davutoglu said.
He voiced hope that Erdogan's statement will help change the image of Armenians about Turkey. He noted that the world reaction on Erdogan's statement shows that Ankara has reached its goal.
"No one expected such a step from Ankara though the first signs were given in 2005. Changes in politics are possible when people's outlook change. Erdogan's statement was aimed at this", the minister said. To recall, Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Erdogan for the first time on 23 April expressed condolences to descendants of the Armenian Genocide victims calling that panhuman tragedy "events of the 20th century."
Official Ankara still denies Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey that claimed the lives of 1,5 million of people in the period from 1915 to 1923. The Armenian Genocide has been recognized by 44 out of 51 States of America, and by 29 countries (in different forms), including Argentina, Switzerland, Russia, Belgium, France, Poland, Slovakia, Netherlands, Uruguay, Greece, Cyprus, Vatican and Sweden. Armenia and Turkey have no diplomatic relations, and their border was closed by Ankara in 1993. The relations between the two countries are impeded with Turkey's support to Azerbaijan in the Karabakh conflict and Ankara's painful reaction to the process of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.