Turkish parliament condemns US Senate's Armenian Genocide vote
Turkey’s parliament on Friday hit back at the United States Senate over a resolution recognizing and condemning the 1915 Armenian Genocide.
"As the Turkish Grand National Assembly, we strongly condemn and reject the U.S. Senate-approved decision on the so-called Armenian Genocide which distorts historical facts and flouts the fundamental rules of international law," read a joint declaration by parliament.
"The decision, which lacks any legal value ... is part of a dirty game," the declaration said, according to Anadolu Agency.
The Senate unanimously passed the resolution recognizing the Ottoman Empire’s mass killing of Armenians a century ago as genocide on Thursday, December 12.
Passage of the resolution – spearheaded by Senators Robert Menendez and Ted Cruz – marks the first time that the Senate has recognized the Armenian Genocide.
The House of Representatives passed the resolution by a 405-to-11 vote in October.
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