Tuesday, May 31 2016 12:41

Ankara is trying to exert pressure on Berlin in the run-up to the Bundestag debates on the Armenian Genocide resolution, scheduled for June 2.     

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Government Spokesperson Numan Kurtulmus hopes that the German Parliament will not destroy the German-Turkish relationship "out of respect for a few politicians." "If they do such a thing, it would consist solely of a text which has no scientific value; a text which has no value," Kurtulmus says. 

For his part, former Turkish ambassador to Germany, member of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Onur Oymen says in an interview with APA that Germany is a making a serious mistake. "If the document is approved, it would undermine Turkish-German relations", he says. 

APA quotes Oymen as saying: "The European Court of Human Rights has passed a judgment in this regard that can't be complained about. How could Germany overlook and disregard it? While we suggest exclusion of chapters on the 'Armenian genocide' from textbooks in Europe, Germany's adoption of any resolution on 'Armenian genocide' will mean nothing to us. I reiterate that they will get an adequate response". 

When asked what the Turkish government and parliament have to do in this process, he replies: "The Turkish people, not the Turkish government or parliament. Everyone will see what we can do".

"This is a matter of honor and dignity of the Turkish nation, who may offer their souls but would never let their honor and dignity be lowered. Of this, I want to remind the German Bundestag and all the parliaments passionate for a resolution on 'Armenian genocide'," he says. 

To recall, on April 24, 2015, the German Bundestag held debates on the resolution on recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Two-hour debates resulted in a decision to put off the adoption till April 30.  This date has already been postponed for several times.  Bundestag President Norbert Lammert (Christian Democratic Union) opened the debates to mark the centenary of the killings by himself directly referring to the mass killings as genocide. He also touched on Germany's complicity in the Armenian Genocide. The draft resolution says that the fate of the Armenians is "an example of the history of mass exterminations, ethnic cleansing, deportations and genocides that left such a terrible mark on the 20th century." On February 25, 2016, the German Bundestag held debates on the draft resolution on the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. The initiators of the discussion were the Left Party and the Green Party.  Chairman of the Alliance '90/The Greens Party Cem Ozdemir prepared the draft resolution. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was present at the debates. A decision was taken to submit the document for follow-on revision. It should be agreed with all political forces of the Bundestag and prepared as a single document on behalf of all the factions.

In early May 2016, German lawmaker Thomas Oppermann (Social Democratic Party) said that on June 2 Bundestag will clearly qualify the mass killings and deportation of Armenians during WWI as genocide.  The given statement caused the negative response of Turkey, which warned Germany against adopting the resolution.