The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn, stated that Turkey’s decision on recalling its ambassador to Luxembourg was not surprising for them.

Asselborn, speaking to the Luxemburger Wort newspaper, noted that recalling an ambassador is the most common diplomatic form of expressing a protest.

“I don’t think that Turkey-Luxembourg relations will substantially worsen with this step,” the Luxembourgish FM said. “Our [two] countries are interdependent, and therefore we will continue to work with Ankara to strengthen our strategic partnership.”

Earlier commenting on Luxembourg parliament’s decision, Asselborn had said: “We bow our heads to the dreadful suffering of the Armenian people.”

He had added, however, that the recognition of the killings of the Armenians as genocide was not a “hostile act” towards Turkey, but a call for reconciliation between the two countries.

The Turkish MFA had stated that it strongly condemns the Luxemburg Chamber of Deputies’ (parliament) decision that describes the killings of the Armenians in 1915 as genocide, and it recalled Turkey’s ambassador to Luxembourg.