BERLIN, Germany (RT)—Germany’s Foreign Minister has said the Bundestag resolution recognizing the 1915 massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide is “non-binding,” following media reports the German cabinet would disavow the resolution so as to continue using Turkey’s Incirlik airbase.
“The German parliament naturally has the right and the freedom to pass any resolution it likes, but the Bundestag itself has said that not every resolution is legally binding,” Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was quoted by Reuters as saying on Sept. 2.
Earlier in the day, Spiegel said in an unsourced report that the Foreign Ministry and the Chancellery are likely to give cabinet spokesman Steffen Seibert the green light to make a public statement distancing the government from the resolution.
“There can be no talk of the German government distancing itself from the Armenia resolution,” Seibert told reporters at a planned news conference shortly after the magazine broke the news. He also said the resolution is not legally binding.
The resolution, adopted by German parliamentarians on June 2, formally calls the 1915 massacre of ethnic Armenians by the Ottoman Turkish forces “genocide.” The vote was almost unanimous, and was met with delight by Armenian communities worldwide.
Ankara responded with a threat of retaliatory measures and denied German MPs access to Incirlik Airbase, used by Germany for the U.S.-led campaign against the Islamic State.
In June, the Bundeswehr, Germany’s military, was seeking an alternative airbase in Cyprus or Jordan, while Social Democrats, the junior members of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition government, demanded the jets and troops to be withdrawn by the end of the year.
As ties between Ankara and Berlin deteriorated rapidly, German parliamentarians of Turkish origin who voted for the resolution reportedly began to receive death threats and were advised not to travel to Turkey for safety reasons.
According to the Spiegel report, Martin Ederer, the Foreign Ministry’s state secretary, and Andreas Michaelis, chief of the ministry’s political staff, have negotiated with the Turkish government in Ankara over the past few weeks to “find solution” to the crisis.
They have been told by the Turks that Ankara expects the resolution on Armenian Genocide to be disavowed publicly.
To comply with the controversial deal, government spokesman Seibert would state that the parliament’s resolution is “non-binding for the German government…being a political declaration, not a legal document,” according to the magazine.
Seibert has been chosen as an appropriate second-tier figure after domestic debates on who would make the controversial statement on behalf of the government. The candidacies of Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Merkel were not considered at all, because that could be viewed as “servility” by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Disavowing the recognition of Armenian Genocide would become a “political gesture” enough to “satisfy” the Turkish government, Spiegel wrote, citing internal negotiations in Ankara.
In the meantime, the alleged statement would mean no change to Berlin’s attitude towards the Armenian Genocide as Merkel and Steinmeier have always viewed the adoption of the resolution as a bad idea, the magazine stated.
Later on Friday, Chancellor Merkel told German parliamentarians that she has not distanced herself from the resolution on Armenian Genocide, according to Reuters.
Volker Kauder, the head of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) faction in the parliament, told his fellow party members that he had spoken with Merkel and she had emphasized her position, Reuters cited sources who attended the meeting.
Kauder said that Merkel noted that she had voted to support the resolution during a party meeting before the June vote, although she was not present when the resolution was adopted by the parliament.
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Hopefully, someone can finally hold the Turks and Kurds responsible for the Armenian/Assyrian Christian genocide. I’ll give the Kurds some credit, at least they’ve admitted what they did and have formally apologized.
This is very sad indeed. The bully Turkish government continues its denial and the world continuously buckles to them.
Our grandmothers and grandfathers knew what happened to them. We, as descendants, know the truth. I do not await an admittance of guilt by Erdogan or his government; but it most certainly has no effect or bearing on the reality of barbarism and genocide experienced by our people.
Shame on these German political hacks. The concept of moral integrity to acknowledge historical fact is losing out to political convenience.
Meanwhile the Turkish government plays both sides in laundering ISIL oil while still getting money from the United States under the pretext of fighting these terrorists.
“Bad idea adopting Armenian Genocide” by German parliament could by
avoided 2016 if German High Command would and could prevent Genocide
1915 became passive accessories of Ottomans Genocide crimes 2016
resolution is highly courageous act accepting accessory fact as allies
The Armenians have waited a longtime for this resolution. his Erdogan is a snake in the grass and not to be trusted. Loo now what he is doing to the Kurds. Massacres are still going on and who knows if he is still supplying ISIS. His whole intention is to create a Caliphate and take over Syria Iag and Lebanon. He has great visions of himself being a great conqueror and another HItler in the making.Ruthless and cunning and never t be trusted.
Are they telling us ARMENIANS that the THEN german empire and turkish ottoman empire : are still current in 2016 as WE knew it for many many years and still active .
Do not Be AFRAID TO TELL THE TRUTH
GOD BLESS THE MEORY OF ALL OUR ARMENIAN SAINTS
The German Parliament,following the example of the European Parliament had the courage to recognise an historical reality. Shame on those who give in to political pressure in denying the Armenian Genocide. Shame on those who deny the truth or try to dress it up in some other form.
This is truly outrageous. The AG is an irrefutable fact. The Germans were fully aware of the AG while it was happening and did nothing to help our hairenagitsner (fellow-Armenians/հայրենակիցներ) by using their influence with their allies, the Ottoman Turks. Anyone who doubts this needs only to read “Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story” (Gomidas Institute Books, 2000). Morgenthau was the U.S. ambassador to Constantinople from 1913 and 1916 and was an eyewitness to the AG. He pleaded time and time again face to face with the leaders of the Ottoman Turks (especially Enver and Talaat) and with German officials for mercy to the Armenians, but he could not sway the murderers from their monstrous crimes. I urge all Armenians and non-Armenians to read this book if they haven’t. It would appear that the thug Erdogan can continue to bully his way around the world, while Western leaders continue to buckle under his threats for the purposes of “Realpolitik”. For 101 years now the cowardly Western leaders are obviously not interested in justice for Armenians who have been among the most persecuted peoples in world history. If Armenians had not been so strong and resourceful, they would long since have disappeared from the world.