International News

ISTANBUL, (APP/AFP): Turkey on Friday said Germany
was still a key ally despite Ankara’s fury over a parliament
resolution that recognised the mass killings of Armenians by
Ottoman forces as genocide.
Seeking to keep the dispute from erupting into a full-blown
crisis, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim emphasised the key relationship would continue while Berlin said ties were strong
enough to weather splits.
The German lower house on Thursday passed a non-binding
resolution recognising the mass killings of Armenians from 1915
under the Ottoman Empire as genocide, prompting Ankara to recall
its ambassador from Berlin for consultations.
The dispute sparked alarm over the potential damage to
relations between Turkey and Germany at a sensitive time when
the two sides are working together to implement a deal seeking
to halt illegal migration to the EU.
“Germany and Turkey are two very important allies. No one
should expect that relations will suddenly deteriorate completely
because of this decision or similar decisions,” Yildirim said.
“Whatever the circumstances, we will continue the relationship
with our friends and our allies,” he added.