The German parliament is moving forward as it will discuss next week a bill to recognize the Armenian Genocide, has provided one of the vice presidents of the Bundestag Edelgard Bulmahn, during his visit to Armenia yesterday.
“It is intended that this document be adopted by the Bundestag on June 2,” Bulmahn said after talks with his Armenian counterpart Eduard Sharmazanov. “The resolution condemns, first and foremost, the deportations and massacres of Armenians and other Christian minorities of the Ottoman Empire. With this resolution, we wish to remember the victims of the Armenian genocide. “
“We will also condemn the infamous role of the German Empire, which was the main ally of Ottoman Turkey,” she added at a news conference with Eduard Sharmazanov.
The resolution was drafted by MPs representing the party of Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), its coalition partner – the Social Democrats (SPD) and the opposition Green Party.
Bulmahn SPD member, discussed with Sharmazanov. The latter praised his “courageous” position on the issue.
German President Gauck described the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire as genocide in April 2015, on the occasion of the commemoration of the genocide in Berlin centennial.
The Bundestag debated a corresponding resolution at the time, but it was not ultimately adopted following telephone interviews the Turkish Prime Minister at the time, Ahmet Davutoglu, with Angela Merkel. Davutoglu asked the Chancellor to persuade the Bundestag not to “offend Turkey.”
Earlier this month, Ambassador of Turkey in Germany Huseyin Avni Karslioglu warned the Bundestag against the adoption of the resolution: “The role of national parliaments is not to judge history.”
As expected, Armenia has welcomed the draft German MPs. “We believe that by condemning the genocide of the Armenians and other Christian peoples in Turkey, we can prevent new genocides,” Sharmazanov said yesterday.
Claire © armenews.com