Turkey Vows to Respond to Germany's Recognition of Armenian Genocide

Turkey will take action against the German parliament's decision to recognize the Armenian Genocide, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday.

ANKARA (Sputnik) — The Turkish government expects Berlin to voice its stance on the issue, which will be different from that of the Bundestag, he added.

"We will take action against the German parliament's resolution. We cannot stay silent," Cavusoglu stated as aired by the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT).

On Thursday, the German parliament passed a near-unanimous resolution recognizing the 1915 massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I as a genocide. The move was met with widespread condemnation by Turkish officials.

Earlier, Cavusoglu called the resolution a "denigration" of history. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that it would have a serious effect on relations between Germany and Turkey.

Some 1.2 million Armenians were slaughtered or starved to death by the Ottomans during and after World War I. Germany has admitted its role in failing to prevent the genocide as an ally of the Ottoman Empire at the time. The Ottomans' policy of ethnic violence has been recognized by many European countries and Russia as genocide. Ankara maintains that Turkish nationals were also victimized.