German intellectuals, including German-Turkish film director Fatih Akin (The Cut) and other artists published an open letter directed to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Bundestag calling for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Massis Post reports.

In the open letter the artists call “to take a stand on June 2 and to refer to the crimes committed against the Armenian people as “genocide.” This is more than a historical period, more than an apology to the descendants of the victims.

“Imagine you lived in Germany and the Holocaust would be denied – would that not be a continuation of the actual fact?” “To ensure that the German-Turkish partnership continues to flourish, we therefore call upon you today to uphold fundamental European values and issue a clear and unambiguous statement. You not only owe it to the descendants of the victims of the genocide, but are also obliged to do so in light of your own history and as a duty to Turkish civil society – regardless of ethnicity. Because ultimately, this is about closing the final chapter of the actual crime in order to usher in a peaceful Turkey of the future that is free, diverse and without fear,” the letter added.

Among the signatories of the open letter are Head of the Dresden Symphony Orchestra Markus Rindt, German-Turkish-Armenian composer and guitarist Marc Sinan, director of Kampnagel theatre in Hamburg Amelie Deuflhardand, as well as general director of the Saxon State Library Thomas Bürger.

The Bundestag is set to vote on a cross-party bill on Armenian Genocide on June 2.