Turkish government's condolences to the grandchildren of Armenians who lost their lives during World War I aimed to thwart the Armenian Genocide allegations from getting larger audience in 2015, a centennial of the 1915 events.
This is just a rehearsal for the real test for Turkey next year, Turkish analyst Bulent Kenes said of the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement on Wednesday, in which he said " we wish that the Armenians who lost their lives in the context of the early twentieth century rest in peace, and we convey our condolences to their grandchildren."
"The prime minister's statement may help to alleviate the preliminary shockwaves of this impending event, but it can hardly be a complete solution to this indispensable event, which will be here in 365 days," Kenes added.
Erdogan's surprising statement came on Wednesday, ahead of April 24 when Armenians commemorate the events they describe as genocide under Ottoman rule. The statement was published by the Prime Minister's Office in nine languages, an apparent signal that it was aimed for a larger audience globally.
"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," Erdogan underlined.
The killings in 1915 were regarded by many historians as the first genocide of the 20th century. Though Turkey rejects the term "genocide," Erdogan called the events "our shared pain" and acknowledged that the deportation of Armenians had "inhumane consequences."
Prime Minister's bold move may not be enough to solve centennial troubles for Turkey next year however, according to Kerem Altan, a columnist who writes for the online news portal T24.
"We shouldn't forget that not only a deportation but the disgraceful memory of a genocide requires a long-delayed apology," he said.
"I want to see acts, not words and gestures. The government developed a habit of 'saving the day' and covering up basic problems through making such gestures," Altan underlined.
Nevertheless the statement was hailed by officials from the United States and the European Union, including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule, as a positive step from Turkey.
Turkey's move was not reciprocated from Armenian government however as Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who issued a statement on the occasion of the anniversary of the 1915 incidents, did not even mention Turkish Prime Minister's message.
Sargsyan accused Turkey of being in denial about the "genocide. "
FOREIGN PRESSURE BACKFIRES
Other analysts explained that Turkey's move, although a step in the right direction, did not go far enough because of foreign meddling into the issue.
The prime minister's declaration was important, said Beril Dedeoglu, professor of international relations at Galatasaray University.
"It is a way of saying, 'We know perfectly well what happened in 1915 and what kind of decisions were taken by our predecessors, but we reject any foreign pressure on the matter," she said.
"In fact, Turkey could act more quickly if there were no foreign pressure," Dedeoglu noted, adding that the majority of the Turkish people continue to exhibit old reflexes when speaking about the Armenian issue.
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee that passed a resolution on April 11 commemorating the "Armenian Genocide" was certainly a kind of pressure Dedeoglu was referring in her comments.
It came as a relief for Turkish government that the U.S. President Barack Obama refrained from using the word "genocide" to describe the events of 1915 in his annual statement on April 24.
OPPOSITION ARE SUSPICIOUS
The nationalists are up in arms against Erdogan's statement with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli refusing to even discuss the issue. He called the statement as tormenting the Turkish nation.
The main opposition Republican Peoples' Party (CHP) spokesperson Haluk Koc said Erdogan's statement could be seen as an attempt to earn some good will credit internationally because Erdogan has been discredited in the last two years.
"If you make this issue as the subject of politics and disconnect it from historical realities, no doubt that this will be perceived as an attempt to gain the lost reputation," he explained.
That is how the announcement of Turkish Prime Minister was seen from Armenian lobby in the United States.
"Increasingly isolated internationally, Ankara is repacking its genocide denials," the director of the U.S.-based Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), Aram Hamparian, said in a statement.
Armenians living in Turkey took a different approach and hailed Erdogan's statement in contrast to their ethnic relatives living abroad.
Archbishop Aram Atesyan, deputy patriarch of the Armenian Patriarchate, based in Istanbul, said Erdogan's statement was " exciting and historic."
"For the first time, we are hearing such a statement from a top Turkish official. This statement will make Turkish Armenians and Armenians around the world happy. This is a start of beautiful days and the start of a friendship bridge," Atesyan declared.
"Despite differing interpretations on what the statement actually means both in Turkey and abroad, most agree that Turkey has done something unique and generally a positive move to tackle one of the most painful and delicate issues for Turks and Armenians together.
"After all these years of complete denial, these words are important from a humanitarian point of view and a clear break with the classic official Turkish lines when it comes to the 1915 tragedy," Orhan Kemal Cengiz, Ankara-based Turkish expert on non- Muslim minorities commented.
"These words may create a much more lasting effect if they are accompanied by some policy changes," he added. Some of the changes debated in Turkish capital involves granting citizenship to grand children of Armenians who emigrated from Turkish lands.