An official statement in connection with the centennial of the Armenian Genocide was issued during an annual meeting of Inter-Church Council of Germany in Magdeburg.

The statement says 2015 marks the centennial of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated in the Ottoman Empire. During 1915-22 some 1.5 million of Armenians were killed and thousands were expelled from their homes.

“We honor the memory of Armenians, as well as approximately 600,000 Aramaic, Assyrian, and Greek Christians, including Catholics and Protestants, who were killed along with their Armenian brothers and sisters,” the statement reads.

The Inter-Church Council of Germany called on the members to hold commemorative events, invite people to prayer with ringing of bells at 5p.m. on 24 April 2015.