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Last year the situation was made even tenser as the US Congress came to the brink of passing a resolution recognizing the World War I-era events as genocide, although this was ultimately prevented by intense diplomatic efforts launched by Turkey.
Turkey has, for decades, pursued a policy of denial in relation to the genocide allegations instead of coming up with a more constructive approach to prove its thesis that the events of 1915 did not constitute genocide.
However, in recent years Turkey has shifted from its longstanding policy of sweeping the Armenian problem under the rug toward a more creative and proactive stance. The first step Turkey took was in 2005, when it invited Armenian historians to set up a joint committee to investigate the genocide allegations. This was followed by President Abdullah Gül´s visit to Yerevan last September to watch a soccer match between the national teams of both countries. In addition, as Turkish decision makers have confirmed, Turkey and Armenia have been conducting secret talks in Switzerland to address their disagreements.
The question of whether or not the events of 1915 constituted genocide has also begun to divide Turkey, as a number of Turkish academics, such as Professor Taner Akçam, have argued that the events were a genocide.
Though the controversy surrounding the genocide issue continues, recent events have marked the beginning of a new era in Turkey in which, at least, this problem can be discussed more vocally.
On the moral front, a campaign was initiated by Turkish intellectuals apologizing to Armenians for the events of 1915.
Twenty-seven thousand Turks from different backgrounds joined this campaign.
The campaigners escaped from a trial when the Ãstanbul Prosecutor´s Office decided yesterday not to file a complaint against the signatories, who were facing the risk of being tried under the infamous Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), which criminalizes insulting Turkey, Turkish ethnicity and the country´s government and security institutions.
This decision by the prosecutor removed one of the risks of further provoking the new US administration under Barack Obama, who had already declared during his election campaign that he would recognize the Armenian "genocide."
Many US presidents in the past made similar pledges but later chose to describe the 1915 events not as genocide but as a massacre.
But this year is seen as carrying more danger for Turkish decision makers in terms of the US stance on the genocide allegations.
This is because there is a higher chance that President Obama may recognize the alleged genocide after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan seriously angered the strong Jewish lobby in the US when he severely criticized Israel for its three-week-long assault on the Gaza Strip that resulted in hundreds of civilian casualties.
The strong Jewish lobby in the US has already released a statement expressing its serious annoyance with Erdoðan´s harsh criticism of Israel over Gaza. This statement from the Jewish lobby, which has in the past acted as Turkey´s supporter in thwarting Armenian and Greek lobbies´ attempts to influence the US Congress as well as the US presidents, came as a strong signal that it may withdraw its support to Ankara this time.
How Turkish decision makers will repair the damage in relations with the Jewish lobby in the US is a big question.
But Professor Ahmet Davutoðlu, the prime minister´s top foreign policy advisor, noted on a TRT 1 news program on Jan. 23 that if the US Congress passes a resolution recognizing the Armenian "genocide" or President Obama uses this term in his speech on April 24, both Turkey and the US will be the losers.
"The game plan should be based on a win-win situation, not on a lose-lose situation. If the US gives time for Turkish-Armenian relations to be developed then both Turkey, the US and Armenia will win," he said.
Davutoðlu´s remarks signal that Turkish-US relations will receive a serious wound that may take time to heal if the US recognizes the Armenians´ claims.
But whatever decision the US makes on the genocide controversy, Turkey should continue developing ties with Armenia as part of its policy of having "zero problems" with all its neighbors.
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