BERN (AA) - Turkey will work to improve relations with its eastern neighbor Armenia, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said.
Turkey wants a thaw but has reservations, Davutoglu told journalists Thursday on his official visit in the Swiss city of Bern.
"We are trying to develop creative ideas, we are trying to cover ground," he said, referring to the sour ties between the two nations.
Turkey and Armenia have experienced historical tensions for the last century over 1915 events.
October 10 marks the fourth anniversary of diplomatic accords between the two states aimed at a détente.
The efforts fell by the wayside shortly after the accords were signed, due to differences regarding regional issues, of which the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been the most prominent.
"We value the normalization of Turkey-Armenia relations," Davutoglu said. "However, in order for this to be lasting, issues in the South Caucasus, Karabakh dispute in particular, must be solved and the occupation of Azerbaijan's lands must be ended."
Minister Davutoglu also spoke of his talks with his Swiss counterpart Didier Burkhalter, stressing the two country's commitment to enhancing bilateral ties.
Switzerland will chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2014.
