Armenian invitation to contribute solution of problems, Turkey says

"I think that (Armenian President Serz Sargsyan's invitation) is an example showing that the contribution to solving the problem and ending the misunderstandings can be made at each level. Our assessments on the Mr. Sargsyan's invitation are underway with taking every development into account," Gul told Radikal daily on Friday.

Radikal made an interview with Sargsyan on Thursday, and Gul's comments came a day after the interview. Sargsyan said Gul's visit will boost the diplomatic ties between the two countries and open new windows of opportunity, adding they want to establish diplomatic relations.

Sargsyan has invited Gul to watch a football match between the two country's national teams on Sept. 6 to mark "a new symbolic start in the two countries' relations." Gul is yet to make a decision on accepting the invitation.

"I sincerely support the recent efforts to ensure peace in the region. I think that it is important to use the opportunities. Our wish is this: We think it is very important to solve our problems with our neighbors. We think it is very important the problems should be solved through dialogue. We are a problem-solving country in the region. We think peace, and stability is very important in Caucasus," Gul added.

Gul also said the frozen conflicts of the Caucasus, especially the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, should be solved through dialogue, adding he is still considering the invitation of his Armenian counterpart to watch a football game in Yerevan.

Although Turkey is among the first countries to recognize Armenia when it declared its independence, there are no diplomatic relations between two countries as Armenia continues to press the international community to admit the so-called "genocide" claims, instead of accepting Turkey's call to investigate the allegations, and its invasion of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory due to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue despite U.N. Security Council resolutions on the issue.

Armenia, with the backing of the Diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million of their kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915. Turkey rejects the claims, saying that 300,000 Armenians along with at least as many Turks died in civil strife that emerged when Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia.