Turkey's Reaction to Germany's Voting Plan on Armenian Genocide

Binali Yildirim, the Prime Minister of Turkey, warned on Wednesday, June 2, that if Germany's plan to vote on whether the Armenian killings can be termed genocide is implemented, the relations between the two countries will be harmed. The German parliament in Berlin will vote on Thursday, June 3, on a proposal to determine whether the killings of Armenians by Turks can be classified as genocide. However, according to the Associated Press, Mr. Yildirim emphasized that whatever the outcome of this vote, it will not affect the agreement between Turkey and the European Union regarding the control of the migrant wave. Many historians say that during World War I, about one and a half million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks, a figure that could represent the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey opposes labeling the killings that began in 1915 as genocide, stating that those who were killed were victims of civil war and related unrest. Turkey also claims that the death toll has been exaggerated. Mr. Yildirim stated that there is no doubt that the relationship between Turkey and Germany will be damaged by this vote. However, in response to a reporter's question about the impact of this vote on the agreement with the European Union regarding refugees, he said, 'Turkey is not a country that wants to get involved in blackmail, threats, and revenge. If this proposal is approved, it will have no effect on the agreement.' The newly appointed Prime Minister of Turkey, who took office last week, described the Armenian killings as a common occurrence that can happen during any war. He also urged the German government not to ignore the voices of three million Turks living in Germany. In recent years, a group of Turkish intellectuals, including Orhan Pamuk, the Nobel Prize-winning author, have referred to the Armenian killings as genocide, a term that remains taboo in Turkey. More than twenty countries around the world, 43 U.S. states, the Vatican, and international bodies including the European Parliament, the Association of Researchers on Genocide, and the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Genocide and Protection of Minorities consider the Armenian killings to be the first genocide of the 20th century.