Berlin will on Wednesday hand back human remains seized from Namibia a century ago after the slaughter of indigenous people under German colonial rule, but descendants are still waiting for an apology.
A US judge on Tuesday heard arguments from lawyers representing the German government and indigenous groups from Namibia but deferred a decision on whether to hear a lawsuit demanding reparations for colonial genocide.
The German government said Friday it had asked a US court to throw out a lawsuit brought by indigenous groups from Namibia seeking reparations for the genocide of their peoples under German colonial rule.
On a thin strip of land at the bay of Lüderitz in southern Namibia are dozens of gravestones bearing the names of each German soldier killed during a largely forgotten colonial war.
Germany has proposed a German-Namibian future foundation and structural fund as part of its atonement for the injustices of the German colonization of southwest Africa.
Indigenous Namibians lashed out Friday at Germany for refusing to pay reparations for the genocide of their people a century ago, calling it a "phenomenal" insult to victims' descendants.
Berlin said Thursday that Ankara will allow German lawmakers to visit a NATO airbase near Syria after refusing access amid a months-long row over Germany recognising the World War I-era massacre of Armenians as "genocide".
Turkey's foreign minister suggested Wednesday Ankara was ready to calm a row over a German parliamentary resolution labelling the Ottoman massacre of Armenians a genocide but warned against treating Turkey as a "second-class country".
Germany on Friday reiterated that a parliamentary resolution on Turkey's World War I-era massacre of Armenians was non-binding but denied it was distancing itself from the vote to appease Ankara.
The Turkish government has been giving German ambassador Martin Erdmann the cold shoulder for weeks, after German parliamentarians passed a bill recognizing the Armenian genocide.
Germany plans to formally apologise to Windhoek for the genocide of indigenous Namibians a century ago, a foreign ministry spokeswoman said Wednesday, but added the move would not carry any obligation of reparations.
German lawmakers of Turkish descent have been placed under police protection after receiving death threats over parliament's decision to recognise the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman forces as a "genocide," an MP told AFP Sunday.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's office hit back Monday at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a blistering row over a German parliamentary vote declaring the Ottoman Empire committed genocide against Armenians.
German MPs of Turkish origin faced death threats from people loyal to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the weekend after voting to declare Ottoman masacres of Armenians a genocide.
The German parliament resolution recognising as genocide the massacres of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire has "no value" and won't change Turkey's position on the matter, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.
UPDATE: Ankara called back its ambassador to Berlin in protest after German MPs voted through a resolution to call the killing of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire a genocide on Thursday, local media report.
German lawmakers' planned vote on a resolution that recognises the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces as genocide, will test the "friendship" between Berlin and Ankara, Turkey said Thursday.
Chancellor Angela Merkel agrees with her party that the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces should be branded a genocide but will not attend a parliament vote Thursday on the issue, her spokeswoman said.
Armenia's president Wednesday urged German lawmakers to not be intimidated by Turkey ahead of their vote on branding the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a "genocide", as leaders in Ankara warned it could harm ties.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called on Germany to show "common sense" over a resolution recognising the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces as "genocide", local media reported.
Turkey on Monday strongly warned the German parliament against adopting a resolution recognising the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as genocide, saying it could have repercussions for bilateral ties.
A 94-year-old former SS guard on trial for complicity in 170,000 murders at Auschwitz broke his silence Friday for the first time since the war, telling victims: "I am truly sorry".
