German Foreign Ministry Cancels Armenian Genocide Concert in Istanbul

BERLIN — The German Foreign Ministry has issues a statement on the cancellation of Dresden Symphony Orchestra’s concert dedicated to the Armenian Genocide at the German Consulate General in Istanbul. “The premises of the Consulate in Istanbul will not be free on November 13”, German Foreign Ministry said in a strange statement.

According to DPA agency, the decisions to cancel the concert was made when the ministry was informed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavusoglu and Minister of Culture and Tourism Nabi Avci were invited to attend the concert.

German MFA mentioned that the invitations had been sent without consulting with the Ministry.

Dresden Symphony Orchestra plans to perform “Aghet ,” a special concert commemorating the Armenian Genocide, in Belgrade and Yerevan in November.

Turkey has announced it was exiting the European Union’s Creative Europe Program. According to reports, the pullout was in response to the concert in commemoration of the Armenian genocide. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has even announced about his support for the project.

“This project offers the audience to abandon the world of hatred. I am convinced that only people who get acquainted to the dreams and traumas of others can foster the establishment of a bright future”, Frank-Walter Steinmeier has told.