Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, formerly an outspoken advocate of his country’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide, decided not to renew his signature on an annual petition calling for Israel to officially recognize the mass killings as genocide, The Times of Israel reported.

Those responsible for the petition were surprised by Rivlin’s change of stance, Israel’s Channel 10 News reported, which was ascribed to the heightened sensitivity of his position since Rivlin was elected president earlier this year. The TV report said Rivlin was apparently concerned not to further harm Israel’s strained relations with Turkey.

Channel 10 also said unnamed Foreign Ministry officials have welcomed the president’s “statesmanship.”

In years past, Rivlin on numerous occasions encouraged Israeli lawmakers to reject the politicized discourse that has dominated the discussion of the issue.

“I’m sure Turkey will be an ally. I think a solution needs to be found for this crisis, but it’s unthinkable that the Knesset ignore this tragedy,” Rivlin had told Knesset members last year, when he was still an MK himself. “We demand that people don’t deny the Holocaust, and we can’t ignore the tragedy of another nation.”