Armenians in Germany Call for 'Stricter Sanctions Against Turkey and Azerbaijan'

The German news website taz.de published an article by Berlin-based journalist Tigran Petrosyan about a protest held on August 1 in front of Chancellor Merkel's office. According to Orer, the columnist noted that around 300 people participated in the demonstration, representing 30 Armenian communities and organizations in Germany.

One of the banners read, 'Ms. Merkel, is there genocide in Armenia with German weapons again?'. The protesters demanded the cessation of German arms shipments to Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Tigran Petrosyan writes that Turkish-Azerbaijani military exercises began the previous week, showcasing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's military support for Azerbaijan against Armenia during the regional war in Nagorno-Karabakh. The article mentions that the protest took place peacefully and that there were more Armenian flags than participants.

They called for 'stricter sanctions against Turkey and Azerbaijan'. It is also noted that around 50,000 to 60,000 Armenians currently live in Germany, while the Azerbaijani community is estimated to be double that number. Azat Ordakhanian, a representative of the Bochum Armenian community, expressed concern that recently his compatriots fear to walk freely in the park.

The article points out that on the night of July 23, an arson attack was carried out on the Armenian embassy in Berlin, completely destroying the embassy's vehicle. An Armenian bar in Köln-Mülheim was also attacked. According to the bar owner's lawyer, approximately 30 individuals wearing black masks, who identified themselves as Azerbaijanis, allegedly attacked the bar, also throwing chairs.

'These are organized terrorist attacks against Armenian-origin citizens living in Germany,' reads the statement from the Central Council of Armenians in Germany, which has sought help from Germany's State Security and the Ministry of the Interior.

One of the young female protesters held a sign saying, 'Prepare dolma, not war.' Some community organizations believe that such protests are not a path to resolving the conflict. Youth organizations, in particular, advise their members not to participate in gatherings to avoid further provocations and ethnic clashes.

Instead, an exhibition is planned in Berlin aiming to draw attention to the conflict as a spontaneous response to the new tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan. From August 9, Armenian paintings and photographs from private collections in Berlin, which also showcase the scars of war, will be displayed at the 'Wolf&Galentz' gallery in Pankow.