Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, Locum Tenens of the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul, has welcomed the recent remarks of Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu saying that he "understands the pain of the Armenian people".

“This is a pointed message, I am glad,” said  Archbishop Aram Ateşyan on April 21 according to Hurriyet Daily News. 

In his statement, Davutoğlu stopped short of calling the events of 1915 genocide and said that it was morally wrong to forget the suffering of others.

On local Turkish TV, Davutoğlu also continued Ankara's atempt to drive a wedge between the Armenian diaspora and Yerevan by casting aspersions on diaspora nationalsist for not coming to the aid of an economically depressed Armenia.