Erdogan tells Merkel concerned about German draft law on Armenian massacre

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (R) meets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, May 23, 2016. Kayhan Ozer/Presidential Palace/Handout via REUTERS

ANKARA/BERLIN (Reuters) - Turkey's president warned Germany on Tuesday that its plans to declare the 1915 mass killing of Armenians a genocide would damage bilateral ties, raising new concerns about an EU-Turkey migrant deal championed by Chancellor Angela Merkel.

German lawmakers are expected to approve a symbolic resolution on Thursday that labels the killings of up to 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman forces "genocide", a description that Turkey strongly rejects.