Saturday, May 28 2016 06:42

German Bundestag will discuss the resolution on Armenian Genocide next week and finally will call a spade a spade, Claudia Kade writes in her article published in German Die Welt. 

"Bundestag was delaying it for a long time for a number of reasons. But already next week mass massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1916 will be called what they should be called-a genocide.  Negotiations on adopting the resolution have been held in Bundestag for already a year. It could be adopted in April of last year but every time it was postponed because of Turkey we had to be more diplomatic and respect for important ally in fighting against terrorists of Islamic State or demonstrate polite restraint for the EU and Turkey refugee agreement", the author writes. 

At the same time the authors expressed hope that after all on June 2 Bundestag will find right words and will demonstrate unity: Christian Democratic Union, Green Party and Social Democratic Party of Germany will condemn mass extermination of Armenians happened 100 years ago in the Ottoman Empire calling it genocide. 
The author of the article notes that the word "genocide" is mentioned in the resolution four times: one time in the title and three times in the text. "The matter concerns forced deportation and massacres of 1.5 mln of Armenians, Arameans, Assyrians and Pontic Greeks in the Ottoman Empire. Turkey as legal successor of the Ottoman Empire condemned these crimes but continues disputing the fact of genocide. Erdogan and his followers consider such formulation as an attack on modern Turkey", the article mentions. 

At the same time it is noted that adoption of resolution will cause Ankara's dissatisfaction, which probably will lead to deterioration of German-Turkish relations. The resolution draft also stressed that German Empire is partly responsible for these events. 

Being the main ally of the Ottoman Empire the German Empire despite the information received from German diplomats about the organized forced deportations and killings of the Armenian nation did not try to stop these crimes against humanity", Claudia Kade writes. 

To recall, on April 24, 2015, the German Bundestag held debates on the resolution on recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Chairman of the Alliance '90/The Greens Party Cem Ozdemir prepared the draft resolution.  Two-hour debates resulted in a decision to put off the adoption till April 30.  This date has already been postponed for several times. 
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.