The declaration adopted by the Latvian Parliament today, which recognizes the events of 1915 as “genocide”, is a null and void attempt to rewrite the history for political motives. We reject and strongly denounce this unfortunate and unlawful declaration. Parliaments are not venues to write or pass judgments on history.

None of the conditions required for the use of the term “genocide” that is strictly defined in international law exist with regards to the events of 1915. This attempt is in conflict with both the provisions of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the decisions taken by the European Court of Human Rights in 2013 and 2015, which clearly establish the controversial nature of the events of 1915.

This declaration also contradicts the statement made by the Latvian Parliament regarding the events in its own history on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of occupation of Latvia, which expresses that an honest and fair approach to historical events is a prerequisite of international relations, and this respect, sets out a double standard.

We call on the Latvian Parliament to step back on this mistake and to support the efforts aiming to establish a practice of peaceful coexistence in the region, especially among the Turkish and Armenian nations, instead of serving the agenda of those circles that try to foment enmity from history.