Turkey had warned Germany that the recognition of Ottoman World War One killings of Armenians as genocide would cause friction to its ties with Turkey. After the vote went down on Thursday, Turkey immediately recalled its ambassador in Berlin for consultations.
 
Despite this “historic error” as he called the recognition of the Armenian genocide, the Prime Minister said that Turkey “will continue our relationship with our friends, our allies”.
 
“That doesn't mean however that we will not react, that we will say nothing” Mr. Yildirim added. Turkey promised to take “necessary steps”.
 
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had warned Thursday that he would take action – once back home from a visit to Kenya – over the Bundestag's declaration.
 
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for calm, saying he hoped that both Turkey and Germany would “avoid any overreaction”.
 
More than 20 nations, including France and Russia, have already recognized the killings of Armenians as genocide. Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks in what many scholars view as the first genocide of the 20th century.
 
The vote on the Armenian genocide could not have come in a worse time for Angela Merkel who abstained. She did however support the vote for the recognition, within her party.
 
The European Union and Germany relies on Turkey for the implementation of an agreement to halt refugee and migrant flows to Europe. The agreement has been challenged also by the fact that Turkey is unwilling to adjust its counter terrorism law to European standards in exchange for visa liberation for Turkish citizens.