German government to not recognize so-called Armenian genocide - media

Germany's government has plans to distance itself from a resolution recognizing the historic Ottoman slaughter of Armenians as genocide, the German news magazine "Der Spiegel" reports. Berlin reportedly hopes the move might appease Ankara.

By doing so, the report said, Chancellor Angela Merkel's government hoped to resolve a dispute that has seen German parliamentarians barred from visiting Bundeswehr troops stationed at the Incirlik airbase in eastern Turkey.

"Der Spiegel" reported that a deal had been agreed between the German Foreign Office and Merkel's Chancellery that would see the government directly distance itself from the Armenia resolution.

Germany's Foreign Ministry has sought to resolve the dispute in recent weeks, with officials reportedly being told that Ankara wanted the German government to distance itself from the legislature's vote. According to "Der Spiegel," Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert would announce that the resolution had no binding legal effect on the actions of the German government.