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Turkey president demands answer for holocausts from Germany

Xinhua, June 6, 2016 Adjust font size:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Berlin on Sunday to answer for the holocausts committed by Germans.

This was the president's angry response to Germany's passing of a resolution acknowledging the Ottoman Empire's murder of Armenians as a "genocide."

"Germany, one more I repeat: You should answer for the Holocaust first," Erdogan said in Istanbul, referring to the massacre of Jews by Nazi Germany during World War II.

"How could you exterminate over hundreds of thousands of Namibians?" he also asked during a commencement address given at the Sabahattin Zaim University, "You'll need to answer for this too," he added.

The massacre of the Herero and Nama population by the German Empire in German South-West Africa, which is modern-day Namibia, between 1904 and 1907 during the Herero Wars, is considered the 20th century's first genocide.

Germany's resolution concerning the Armenian murders was passed on Thursday by the country's lower house of parliament, immediately sparking an outrage in Turkey.

Armenia and Turkey disagree over the Armenian events during World War I, during which 1.5 million Armenians were allegedly killed at the hands of Ottoman Turks in 1915.

Turkey rejects all allegations that it was a bloody massacre.

Over 20 world countries officially recognize the murders as a genocide.

In response, Turkey has recalled its ambassador from Berlin, and both Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim have joined others in criticizing the German bill.

During a speech on Sunday, Erdogan said Germany is the last country eligible to vote on a "genocide."

Once more, Erdogan invited German historians, legislators and archaeologists into Turkey for further investigation, stressing that Turkey is brave enough to embrace its past in the event it's proven that the Armenian murders was a genocide.

Erdogan restated during several speeches a day earlier in Istanbul that Turkey will never accept the accusation of "genocide" against Armenians, claiming the issue is used to "blackmail" Ankara. Endit