Following Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's letter to Armenian President Robert Kocharyan last year in which he proposed the appointment of a joint commission of historians to discuss the 1915 incidents, Turkey intends on offering new initiatives.

Gul noted that Turkey did not rule out international adjudication, an option for which the views of both domestic and foreign international lawyers were being sought. Minister Gul also recalled that Turkey had invited not only Armenians but also third parties to join the proposed commission of historians.

In his assessment on the situation in Iraq, Gul, strongly opposed division scenarios: "If Iraq is divided, a dark period will begin. Then, the attitudes of the neighboring countries would not be the same as today."

Also rejecting the claims that the government had made concessions with regard to Cyprus issue, Gul asserted that in reference to the Turkish part's interaction with the world, Turkish Cyprus had been recognized de facto. Minister Gul, who further denied that Turkey would hand over Maras to the Greek Cypriots, clearly stated, "This is something that only those who have lost their minds would do. Maras is part of a comprehensive solution." Gul also stressed that the government would not compromise on anything that it would not be able to reinstate within the negotiation period with the European Union.