The messages that a Geico-sponsored “skytyping” company scrawled across New York City skies last week weren’t exactly innocuous: “101 years of Geno-lie,” “Turkey = Truth,” “Gr8 ally = Turkey” and “BFF = Russia + Armenia.” They were accompanied by patriotic creeds in Turkish, too, The Washington Post reports.

The advertising was part of a cross-country media blitz by FactCheckArmenia.com, a website that tries to counter the dominant — and, most say, historically accurate — narrative around the Ottoman Empire’s slaughter of as many as 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 and 1916. The topic is inherently political: Turkey hotly disputes the number killed and portrays the events as part of the inevitable chaos that ensued as the Ottoman Empire unraveled during World War I. The United states and 172 other nations have not formally recognized the events as genocide — many, presumably, under pressure from Ankara.

The Armenian diaspora in the United States, including many descendants of those who fled the mass killings, play an instrumental role in keeping the century-old events in the news.

Geico Skytypers, which normally advertises for the likes of Coca-Cola, IKEA, and other big brands, found itself in the middle of this tug of war — and it claims this happened completely unwittingly. On Monday, the company offered a meek, mealy-mouthed apology that repeatedly circled around to one point: We were really busy and didn’t take the time to find out what we’d be advertising to millions of New Yorkers beforehand.

After getting deluged with calls from livid citizens, this is the heart of the apology issued:

“Were you aware of,” “Would you have,” and “Did you consider,” questions are incredibly overwhelming when they surround the quick and sudden realization that the “innocent” messages may have deeper implication than anyone could have considered. “Turkey = Truth Peace” or citing websites seemed quite innocuous, unless you’re aware of the historical and sociological undercurrent. Some of the message content should have raised flags, but in a rush and with the assurance from the hiring agency, we typed messages that should have never been promoted. There is no excuse for carelessness, especially when harm is caused, however we are guilty of ignorance, not ill intent.

The company went on to say that it is formulating an “ethical advertising policy” and has “warned other advertisers about the lessons we’ve since learned.”