The German parliament has withstood a barrage of pressure from the Turkish government, approving a symbolic resolution that declares the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turkish forces a ‘genocide’.

The German parliament has withstood a barrage of pressure from the Turkish government, approving a symbolic resolution that declares the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turkish forces a ‘genocide’.

The vote was almost unanimous in supporting the resolution with just one MP voting against and another abstaining. The move was largely expected and was supported by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. However, the German leader was forced to skip the vote due to prior commitments.

Gregor Gysi, a Left Party politician critical of Turkey’s treatment of the Kurds, who are doing an excellent job in fighting ISIL, said that “Germany was a historical accessory” and has a duty to recognize the mass killings of Armenians in the First World War.

“We need to call this what it was – a genocide,” he told the parliament. “The Bunderstag should not allow itself to be blackmailed by Turkey’s threats.”

The news was greeted with delight by dozens of Armenian supporters who had gathered outside the parliament building, and were carrying banners commemorating the genocide.

According to the Christian Democratic Union’s Albert Weiler, Germany had a “historical duty” to recognize the mass killings of Armenians.