ANKARA, April 23 (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan offered his condolences on Wednesday to the grandchildren of Armenians killed in World War One by Ottoman soldiers.
In a statement issued on the eve of the 99th anniversary of the deeply contested deaths, Erdogan described the events of 1915 as "inhumane", using more conciliatory language than has often been the case for Turkish leaders.
A Turkish government official said it was the first time a Turkish prime minister had offered such explicit condolences.
(Reporting by Johnny Hogg Editing by Jeremy Gaunt.)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
