Germany declares 1915 Armenian killings a “genocide”

Germany declares 1915 Armenian killings a “genocide”

Tensions are already high between EU countries establishing agreements regarding the large flux of migrants. Now, strains between Germany and Turkey may worsen after the German parliament passes a symbolic resolution that recognizes the 1915 massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman forces as genocide. The 1915 massacre referred to is the killing of between 600,000 and 1.5 million Armenians and other minorities that were killed by Ottoman Turkey during World War One. This resolution passed with majority agreeing (one vote against it, and one vote abstained), which Turkey fears may lead to demands for huge reparations. Turkey has already responded to the French parliament and Pope Francis by recalling Turkey’s ambassador to them, as the Turkish president chooses to use “mass killings” instead of “genocide” to acknowledge the massacre. The United States and Britain are among the few countries, which do not call the massacre a genocide.

I found it interesting that Turkey will acknowledge the event, but find the term genocide to be a distorted and unfounded description. I am curious to see how Turkey responds to the German parliament in the upcoming weeks.

Jessy Krempp

Article: http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/02/europe/germany-turkey-armenian-genocide/index.html