German Bundestag President Norbert Lammert opened Thursday’s session with a harsh criticism of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan—and with respect to the latter’s reaction against the Bundestag’s passing of the resolution that recognizes Armenian Genocide—, reported RIA Novosti news agency of Russia. 

“Sadly, partly hateful threats were made, including by senior Turkish officials,” Lammert stated at the Bundestag sessions’ hall, where German Chancellor Angela Merkel was also in attendance. “I consider it impermissible that, in the 21st century, a democratically elected president links the Bundestag Turkish MPs’ criticism of him to the suspicions of their Turkish origin, [and] calls their blood ‘spoiled.”’

In Lammert’s words, even though the German lawmakers stand ready to debate and accept criticism, anyone who attempts to pressure individual MPs through threats should know that he is attacking the whole of German Parliament.

He noted that the Bundestag will respond to this within the law.

“We are in solidarity with our colleagues who are subjected to threats and pressure because of their political activities,” concluded the Bundestag president.

On June 2, the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, formally recognized the Armenian Genocide, with the aforesaid resolution and with only one vote against and one abstention. The resolution also notes that the Bundestag regrets that the German government at the time did nothing to stop this crime against humanity, and therefore the Bundestag also acknowledges the respective historical accountability of Germany.