that marked the 20th century in such a terrible way . " It also states that the " German Empire bears partial responsibility for the events , " a point that Gauck had also made last year . Germany was then allied with the Ottomans , and deployed soldiers who participated in the deportations of Armenians , Gauck had said .
By recognizing the genocide , it will force the Turkish government to take a brave step and look into its own history , ” he said . Representatives from the Turkish and Armenian embassies were present in the German parliament while the vote was taking place . Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian praised the decision , saying it demonstrated “ Germany 's valuable contribution not only to the international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide , but also to the universal fight for the prevention of genocideslife.die.deathcausedbyviolentevents[ and ] crimes against humanity , ” AFP reported . Read more The ruling AK Party in Turkey responded by saying that the move by the German parliament has seriously damaged relations between the two countries .