Erdogan says German law on Armenian genocide could damage ties

ANKARA — A proposed German law to label the 1915 mass killings of Armenians a genocide would damage ties between Ankara and Berlin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, comments that could further inflame his European critics.

German lawmakers are expected to vote in June to back a planned resolution to call the killings of up to 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman forces a century ago a “genocide”. Turkey denies that the massacres constituted genocide.

The vote coincides with deepening public wariness in Germany towards Turkey, and Erdogan in particular. Critics accuse German Chancellor Angela Merkel of going soft on Ankara over human rights because she wants to ensure continued Turkish cooperation in stemming the flow of illegal migrants to Europe.

Merkel drew fire from critics for allowing a German court to go ahead with investigations against a comedian for mocking Erdogan in a sexually crude poem.

In comments to reporters before he left for an official visit to Africa, Erdogan lashed out at those who he said were trying to “deceive” Germany over the 1915 events, without accusing anyone in particular.

“If Germany is to be deceived by this, then bilateral diplomatic, economic, trade, political, and military ties — we are both NATO countries — will be damaged,” he said.

The comments came after he spoke over the telephone with Merkel to express concern about the draft law, Turkish presidential sources said.

A German government spokesman confirmed the call took place and said the two also discussed the implementation of the EU-Turkey migrant deal.

Turkey argues that the there was no organised campaign to wipe out the Armenians, who are Christian, and no evidence of any such orders from the Ottoman authorities.

There are also fears that the resolution could stir tensions with some 3.5 million people of Turkish origin who live in Germany.

Last year, German President Joachim Gauck condemned the killings of Armenians as genocide in a speech to mark the 100th anniversary of the massacres. Germany had previously avoided using the word “genocide” to describe the killings.