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German parliament approves Armenian genocide bill

Xinhua, June 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Bundestag, lower house of the German parliament, on Thursday passed a resolution to label the killing of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire a "genocide", causing fears of new tensions in German-Turkish relations.

The resolution was adopted almost unanimously, with one vote against and one abstention. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier did not attend the vote because of "scheduling issues," German media reported.

Armenia and Turkey disagree over the Armenian episode in which 1.5 million Armenians were allegedly killed at the hands of the Ottoman Turks during World War I. Turkey has rejected allegations that it was a bloody massacre.

More than 20 countries have officially recognized the killings as a genocide.

Ahead of Thursday's vote, Bundestag President Norbert Lammert called on Turkey to address the mass murder of Armenians.

The current government in Turkey, Lammert said, is not responsible for what happened during the war, "but it is partly responsible for what will happen as a result in the future."

German parliamentarians on Thursday also discussed the relations between Germany and Turkey, which have been strained recently by an insulting poem against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as well as rows over the refugee deal between the EU and Turkey.

The Armenian resolution passed by the Bundestag could lead to new tensions in the German-Turkish ties, some critics feared.

The Turkish government later on Thursday described the approval of the resolution as "null and void," according to Hurriyet News. Meanwhile, Turkey has recalled its ambassador to Berlin after the resolution, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported. Enditem