Wolfgang Gust: “Bundestag’s recognition of Armenian Genocide may open the eyes of Germans and Turks”

YEREVAN, JUNE 18, ARMENPRESS. Former Editor in Chief of Der Spiegel, historian Wolfgang Gust said in an interview to AGOS that Germany was the most important ally of the Ottoman Empire during the years of WWI. Germany was well aware of the Genocide against Armenians through the reports of its Consuls.

According to the historian, during the Genocide years the German diplomats were sending harmless letters to the Ottoman Government, in order to just create an impression as if they are trying to help Armenians. However the response of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs was different. The then Chancellor Bethmann Hollweg said during those years : “Our only goal is to keep Turkey at our side until the end of the war, during this the being or non being of Armenians is not important”.

According to Gust, the role of German military in Turkey should not be overlooked in the Armenian Genocide issue. In several parts of the Empire they personally led the attacks on Armenian-populated areas.

“The German Parliament’s resolution resembles the resolutions of other Parliaments, which, to say the least is surprising, and in my personal opinion – scandalous, because the Germans were not the witnesses of the tragedy, but acting figures”, Gust said.

“This resolution, which officially calls the Armenian Genocide as “Genocide”, might open the eyes of many Germans, including the ones with Turkish origins”, he said.