The Turkish Foreign Ministry has called on the Latvian Parliament to retract from the “wrong step” of recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

In a statement the Turkish Foreign Ministry called the “recognition of the 1915 events as genocide” a “null attempt to rewrite history with political motives.”

“We reject and strongly condemn this unfortunate and unlawful decision. Parliaments are not venues for history writing and judgment,” the Foreign Ministry stated.

The comments come after the Latvian Seima (Parliament) voted today to adopt a declaration recognizing and condemning the Armenian genocide.

“Instead of serving the agenda of some circles that try to create enmity from history, we invite the Latvian Parliament to take back this wrong step and to support the efforts to establish a practice of peaceful coexistence in the region, especially between the Turkish and Armenian peoples,” the Ministry stated.

The declaration adopted by the Latvian parliament respects the memory of all the victims of the Armenian Genocide, pays tribute to all the survivors, affirms that open discussions on historical issues are inextricably linked to the development of a healthy, mature democracy.

The Seima calls on the international community “to assess these historic events, to look to the future we want to build, without violence, intolerance, a future where human rights are respected, where everyone can be free, safe and secure.”