Turkey values Germany ties despite Armenian 'genocide' row

Turkish protesters made the nationalist "Grey Wolves" sign outside the German Consulate in Istanbul

Turkey's prime minister has condemned as a "historic error" Germany's vote to recognise the 1915 massacre of Armenians as genocide, but said it will not wreck the two countries' ties.

Some Armenian community leaders in Germany attended the Bundestag debate

"No-one should expect that relations will suddenly deteriorate completely because of this decision," Binali Yildirim said. Turkey recalled its envoy to Germany in protest against the resolution passed by German MPs on Thursday.


It promised to take "necessary steps". Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their people died in the atrocities committed by Ottoman Turks in 1915, during World War One.

Turkey says the toll was much lower and rejects the term "genocide". More than 20 countries, including France and Russia, recognise the 1915 massacre as "genocide", as do most non-Turkish scholars of the period.