Obama issued a statement decrying the killing of Armenians at the end of World War I, calling it "one of the great atrocities of the 20th century." But the statement did not use the word "genocide," just weeks after Obama visited Turkey and simiarly declined to use the controversial term to avoid upsetting Turks.

During his visit to Turkey, Obama seemed to step back from his campaign promise to recognize the Armenian genocide, arguing that the issue was a matter for Turkey and Armenia to sort out and avoiding even the word "genocide."