Translated by Gunnar Ahrens and Christine Crawford.

"Et es wie et es"1, people say in Cologne, meaning: it is what it is. Between 1915 and 1916, the young Turk's "Committee of Union and Progress"2 killed thousands of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. Nevertheless, many of today's Turks refuse to recognize this, especially politicians.

There is a paragraph3 in Germany, which punishes those who deny or belittle an act of Nazism. Crimes committed during the Nazi period can in no way be compared with those of the young Turks, however, it is still worth noting that the denial of any crime commited during the Nazi period, is a complete lie and will incur severe sanctions in Germany.

However, in Turkey such denial is considered a sign of special loyalty to the fatherland. In fact, those who publicly criticise the past killings of Armenians, are punished under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code. The Turkish Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk4 suffered this fate.

It is often not the fact that so many Armenians were killed by the young Turks, which is denied, rather, that Turkey doesn't consider this to be a "genocide", but refers to it as the "massacre of 1915"5 or a "so-called genocide".6

No, not every murder is a genocide
Therefore, a genocide needs to be carried out with the "intention to destroy", according to the legal definition of genocide7 - also possessing an element of "exuberant inner tendency", as stated in German criminal law. Additionally, carried out with a highly condemnable attitude. This attitude is precisely what the majority of Turks dispute.8

It is difficult to prove in retrospect, that a country acted with the intention of destroying a nation and also attach the stigma of genocide.9 Genocide incurs the harshest punishment of all crimes within courtrooms across the world.

To prove that there was an intention to destroy and condemn a country for a failed genocide attempt,10 is an extremely difficult hurdle for many international courts to successfully negotiate. The aim is simply to heighten the world's awareness of the existence and enormity of such crimes, and place the act of genocide firmly and inescapably in people's consciousness.

Should Turkey not just accept its past for the sake of the victims? Or is their aforementioned intention to cause destruction really uncertain? However, the "preparation and execution involved in the destruction process" is clearly identifiable.11 Based on objective past events, one could possibly conclude that there was a subjective "overall plan" with the sole intention of destroying the Armenians "as such".12

For the victims, survivors and descendants of such events, any attempts to argue or disprove the concept of "genocide", comes close to denying what happened. It is of great importance to them that people acknowledge and appreciate their depth of suffering, an understanding which they deserve.

Continual acknowledgment promotes retrospection
The constant remembrance of the Nazi era is an important part of Germany's identity. This and other past events serve as necessary reminders and warnings, ensuring that similar crimes are never repeated. However, the Nazis' specific intention to destroy the Jewish people is proven without question, due to indisputable documents and situations. The main aim of the Nazi leadership was to murder every Jew living in Germany.

Turkey cannot be forced into how they handle their past - they will undoubtedly deal with past events and proceed how they see fit regarding the "genocide" of Armenians. How should Germany behave? Due to their past ambiguous intention to destroy people, should they actually only refer to a "massacre of Armenians", or should they waive legal correctness and show solidarity with the victims?

Until now, German politicians have avoided the term "genocide". However, the Federal President Joachim Gauck used it during a church service in Berlin Cathedral,13 closely followed by Bundestag President Norbert Lammert.14

Due to the increasing number of countries who have to consciously decide whether crimes against the Armenians are or are not in fact "genocide", Turkey itself should consider rethinking their position. At the very least, the death of hundreds of thousands of Armenians is a fact. "Et es wie et es" (It is what it is).

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[1] § 1 Et rheinisch Jrundjesetz (The Rhenish basic law).
[2] URL: http://www.bpb.de/internationales/europa/tuerkei/184983/genozid-an-den-armeniern, 13.05.2015.
[3] Volksverhetzung, § 130 III StGB.
[4] URL: http://www.nzz.ch/aktuell/startseite/die-meinungsfreiheit-laesst-auf-sich-warten-1.10110481, 13.05.2015.
[5] URL: http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/der-erste-weltkrieg/die-tuerkei-leugnet-den-voelkermord-an-den-armeniern-um-zu-vergessen-13555705.html, 13.05.2015.
[6] URL: http://www.zaman.com.tr/dunya_sozde-soykirim-yerine-artik-1915-olaylari-denecek_579625.html, 13.05.2015.
[7] Genocide Convention.
[8] URL: http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/der-erste-weltkrieg/die-tuerkei-leugnet-den-voelkermord-an-den-armeniern-um-zu-vergessen-13555705.html, 13.05.2015.
[9] URL: http://www.welt.de/print-welt/article682595/Wir-haben-keinen-Genozid-begangen.html, 13.05.2015.
[10] URL: http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/staat-und-recht/gastbeitrag-voelkermord-voelkermord-an-den-armeniern-13566598.html, 13.05.2015.
[11] URL: http://www.bpb.de/internationales/europa/tuerkei/184983/genozid-an-den-armeniern, 13.05.2015.
[12] URL: http://www.aga-online.org/documents/attachments/Stellungsnahme_Prof_Otto_Luchterhand.pdf, 13.05.2015.
[13] URL: http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2015-04/armenien-joachim-gauch-voelkermord-genozid, 13.05.2015.
[14] URL: http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2015-04/voelkermord-armenien-bundestag-erklaerung, 13.05.2015.