Turkey Warns German Bundestag Over Armenian Genocide Vote

ANKARA — Turkey on Monday strongly warned the German parliament against adopting a resolution recognizing the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as genocide, saying it could have repercussions for bilateral ties.

The Armenian Genocide resolution that will be discussed in Bundestag on June 2 is titled as “Remembrance and Commemoration of the Genocide against Armenians and other Christian Minorities in 1915-1916 in Ottoman Empire”. In the resolution, the term “genocide” is openly used and the responsibility of the German Reich is pointed out.

“Germany is our friend and our ally where many citizens of Turkish origin live,” said deputy prime minister and government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus.

“Germany must be careful concerning its relations with Turkey.”

“I do not think that the German parliament will destroy this relationship for the sake of two or three politicians” who put the resolution before the Bundestag, he added.

The debate over the resolution also comes at a hugely sensitive time in Berlin-Ankara relations.

Turkish authorities are angry over the failure to grant citizens visa-free travel to the EU and Germany is worried by the worsening rights situation in Turkey.

Turkish authorities have long lobbied Western allies not to recognize the killings as genocide and stepped up efforts last year on the 100th anniversary of the tragedy.