Germany Cancels Genocide Commemoration Concert in Istanbul

The Dresden Symphony Orchestra performing “Aghet,” dedicated to the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. (Photo: Markus Rind)

BERLIN (Hurriyet Daily News)—The German Foreign Ministry has cancelled a long-planned concert by the Dresden Symphony Orchestra in Istanbul on November 13 that was to commemorate the Armenian Genocide after protests by Ankara, orchestra director Markus Rindt said on October 26.

The ministry notified the orchestra that the German consulate in Istanbul, where the performance called “Aghet,” or “catastrophe” in Armenian, was to have taken place, would not be available on November 13, Rindt said. The concert premiered in Berlin in November.

“It’s definitely been canceled. They said they wanted to reschedule at a better time, but when would that be? This has been planned for years,” Rindt told Reuters.

Earlier in the day, AFP reported citing a German foreign ministry source that “the facilities in the consulate are not available on November 13.”

“The invitations to the event were issued without the foreign ministry’s involvement.”

Relations between Ankara and Berlin were strained after the Bundestag passed a bill recognizing the Armenian Genocide in June 2016.

Strained relations between Ankara and Berlin due to the bill worsened after Turkey rejected a German parliamentary delegation’s visit in late June to the base, which was solved after the German government assured Turkey that the Bundestag’s decision was not binding. The German lawmakers were later allowed to visit the base.

The Dresden Sinfoniker performance includes musicians from Turkey, Armenia, Germany and members of the No Borders Orchestra, which is comprised of musicians from the former Yugoslavia. Additional performances are planned in Belgrade on November 5 and in Yerevan, Armenia on November 10.