WASHINGTON (A.W.)—On April 3, during a news briefing aboard Air Force One en route to France, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was questioned on President Barack Obama’s position regarding the Armenian Genocide by the White House press pool.

Asked whether the president still believes that “the Turks committed genocide against the Armenians,” Gibbs said, “We’ll get into that I think later on.” He was then asked, “During this trip?” And he replied, “I’ll leave that for—I can’t give away everything in one gaggle, for goodness sakes.”

On April 5, Obama will arrive in Turkey, making it the first Muslim country he visits after taking office. Analysts say his trip will aim at strengthening ties with Ankara, and point to the issue of the Armenian Genocide as possibly the most challenging for the president to deal with during his talks with Turkish officials.

The Armenian Weekly with provide in-depth coverage of Obama’s visit to Turkey.