Germany bears historic responsibility for Armenian Genocide: President

June 1, 2016 - 12:55 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Germany bears historic responsibility for the Armenian Genocide of 1915, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview with Bild.

“The German Empire, which was allied with Turkey at the time, witnessed those crimes and could take steps to prevent them. But it did nothing,” Sargsyan said.

According to the President, Bundestag's recognition of the Genocide is crucial for Armenia.

On June 2, the Bundestag intends to approve a resolution condemning the century-old Ottoman massacre of Armenians by describing it as genocide. The majority of foreign policy specialists from the relevant parties have given a clear signal that they will support the resolution.

“No German politician denies the Genocide even if some of them fail to publicly acknowledge the historical facts,” Sargsyan said.

Also, Sargsyan weighed in on the fate of the controversial EU-Turkey migrant deal following a possible Genocide recognition by the Bundestag, noting that the agreement is extremely difficult to implement with such a partner as Turkey.

Tass.ru:Президент Армении: сделка ЕС с Турцией по беженцам не имеет прочной основы

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.