In spite of promises made during his first presidential campaign and the hopes of the Armenian-American community, President Barack Obama will not use the word "genocide" when referring to the massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War One.

In a carefully worded statement released on April 21, Obama administration officials confirmed the president would not be using the word "genocide" when referring to the atrocities of 1915 at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish government.

A White House press release explained Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes met with leaders of the Armenian-American community to discuss what the president would say, as well as "the significance of this occasion for honoring the 1.5 million lives extinguished during that horrific period."

"They pledged that the United States will use the occasion to urge a full, frank, and just acknowledgement of the facts that we believe is in the interest of all parties," the statement continued.

According to CNN, the two officials did not use the word "genocide" in their statement to Armenian-American leaders.

"We know and respect that there are some who are hoping to hear different language this year," the officials said. "We understand their perspective, even as we believe that the approach we have taken in previous years remains the right one -- both for acknowledging the past, and for our ability to work with regional partners to save lives in the present."

The president's decision to avoid referring to the killings of more than 1 million ethnic Armenians as genocide is a strategic one. The U.S. does not want to anger Turkey since American forces operate from the country in its fight against Daesh, or ISIS.

Nonetheless, the president will send a delegation lead by Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew to Armenia for the centennial commemoration to be held on Friday, April 24, according to the White House.

National Security Advisor Susan Rice met with Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and, while the two discussed Daesh, Rice also mentioned the Armenian Genocide.

"Ambassador Rice encouraged the Minister to take concrete steps to improve relations with Armenia and to facilitate an open and frank dialogue in Turkey about the atrocities of 1915," a White House press release stated.

However, the Armenian-American community has not accepted the administration's excuse and expressed their disappointment.

"President Obama's surrender to Turkey represents a national disgrace. It is, very simply, a betrayal of truth, a betrayal of trust," said Ken Hachikian, the chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America, CNN reports.