Turkey Warns Bundestag Against Armenian Genocide Recognition

ANKARA (Armradio) — Turkey on Monday called on German lawmakers to “act reasonably” when considering a bill next month on recognizing the deaths of Armenians in 1915 as “genocide”.

Tanju Bilgic, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said Ankara had been following the preparation of the resolution and its “politicizing” of history, Anadolu Agency reports.

“It is possible that if the resolution is approved Turks living in Germany and Turkey will react seriously,” he said at a weekly news conference in Ankara. “In this framework, we expect the German parliament to act in common sense and reasonably.”

German lawmaker Albert Weiler announced in Armenia Friday the Bundestag would consider a resolution on recognizing the events of 1915 as “genocide” on June 2.

Last year, parliamentary parties approved the resolution in principle but sent it to committee for further work.

“These [politicians] are further complicating the issue,” Bilgic said. “Genocide is not an issue that can be abused with political aims.”

He reiterated Turkey’s call to establish a joint commission to investigate the killings.