Turks protest German parliament’s call to examine role in killing of Armenians

AP Worldstream; Jun 17, 2005

Some 150 members of a Turkish trade union protested the German
parliament’s call on Turkey to examine its role in the killing of an
estimated 1 million Armenians a century ago.

The protesters, members of a civil servants union, also scuffled
with police for about 10 minutes outside the German Embassy after a
plainclothes policeman removed and broke a black wreath the protesters
left at the embassy gate.

They dispersed peacefully after the wreath was returned to the gate.

Earlier, the protesters shouted: “Fascist Germany,” “Racist Germany”
and “Germany, don’t test our patience” as some 100 police officers
stood guard.

German lawmakers on Thursday adopted a resolution asking the government
to press Turkey to investigate the “organized expulsion and destruction
of the Armenians” and foster reconciliation.

Armenia accuses Turkey of genocide in the killings as part of a
1915-23 campaign to force Armenians out of eastern Anatolia.

Turkey denies that the killings were genocide and says the death
count is inflated and that Armenians were killed or displaced along
with others as the Ottoman Empire tried to quell civil unrest.

The German legislature’s resolution angered Turkish authorities.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that it was
“biased, contained serious errors and lacked information,” and that
its approval would “deeply wound the Turkish people.” Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the decision “wrong” and “ugly.”