On April 23, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered his condolences to the descendants of the Armenians who were killed by Ottoman troops during World War I — in what many consider to be the first genocide of the 20th century. Although it is an historic apology, Erdogan's statement is only a first step that should be followed by other measures to restore ties with the Armenian government.
Stating that "The incidents of the First World War are our shared pain," Erdogan said. "It is our hope and belief that the peoples of an ancient and unique geography, who share similar customs and manners will be able to talk to each other about the past with maturity and to remember together their losses in a decent manner. ... And it is with this hope and belief that we wish that the Armenians who lost their lives in the context of the early 20th century rest in peace, and we convey our condolences to their grandchildren."
Turkey still categorically rejects the term genocide and claims that only 500,000 Armenians died of fighting and starvation in 1915. In 2013, during a trip to Yerevan, the Armenian capital, Turkey's foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, called the events of 1915-1916 a "mistake" and an "inhuman act."