Photo: Michael Wand

The municipal authorities of Colonge, Germany, have paved the way for a memorial dedicated to the “victims of the genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in the years 1915/16,” reports.

The Armenian Christian community in Cologne, with its more than 5,000 members, is now allowed to erect a “cross-stone”, an artfully carved memorial stone. It is to be erected on the Armenian burial ground of the cemetery Lehmbacher Weg in Cologne-Brück.

The decision was adopted by the main committee by an overwhelming majority of the votes on Monday.

Social Democratic Party of Germany also considers the Armenian community’s plea for a proper place of mourning and commemoration of the genocide, which will be “completely legitimate and appropriate.”

The now approved genocide memorial in Cologne is likely to further aggravate the German-Turkish relationship.