Turkey rejects a resolution by the U.S. House of Representatives on the 1915 events, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement released late Tuesday.
"We reject the resolution H.R.296 entitled 'Affirming the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide' that is adopted today by the U.S. House of Representatives as expressing the sense of the Latter," the ministry said in the statement.
Adding that the resolution is "devoid of any historical or legal basis," the MFA said that it has "apparently been drafted and issued for domestic consumption."
"The resolution itself is also not legally binding. As a meaningless political step, its sole addressees are the Armenian lobby and anti-Turkey groups," the ministry added.
"Those who felt defeated for not being able to forestall Operation Peace Spring would be highly mistaken should they thought that they could take vengeance this way," the statement added, pointing to Turkey's recent anti-terror operation in northern Syria.
"There can be no further delusion than an attempt to rewrite history according to the 'sense' of a political body."
Saying that 1915 events constitute a legitimate subject for debate according to the European Court of Human Rights, the ministry added that there is no verdict of a competent court "with regard to the 1915 events that establish the crime of genocide."
"Hence, the debate on the events that occurred in 1915 belongs to the realm of history, not politics," MFA concluded, reminding that Turkey's proposal on the establishment of a joint historical commission was rejected by the Armenian side in 2005.
"The U.S. Administration and politicians, as well as the American people, are best placed to consider the damages this resolution seeking to disrupt Turkey-U.S. ties does and will inflict upon the U.S. interests at an extremely fragile time in terms of the international and regional security."
On the other hand, it is also noted that the attitude of the U.S. administration on 1915 events remains the same.
U.S. Ambassador to Ankara David M. Satterfield was summoned Wednesday by the Foreign Ministry over the House bill.
The leaders of two major Turkish opposition parties on Wednesday also slammed the U.S. House of Representatives passing a resolution recognizing the so-called "Armenian genocide" as well as a bill backing sanctions on Ankara.
On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a resolution recognizing the so-called "Armenian genocide."
"We once again strongly reject the U.S. House of Representatives resolution, and stress that decisions taken by parliaments should not cause new tensions in our region," Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), said in a written statement.
The decision not only affects Turkish-U.S. relations, but will also hurt Turkish-Armenian relations, he added.
Bahçeli, head of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), also criticized the U.S. decision, calling it null and void.
The ties of alliance, friendship, and strategic partnership between Turkey and the U.S. are heavily damaged, he added.
The Turkish parliament on Wednesday also condemned the U.S. House of Representatives' passing a resolution recognizing the so-called "Armenian genocide" as well as a bill backing sanctions on Turkey.
"The Turkish Grand National Assembly regretfully condemns and rejects the U.S. House of Representative's adoption of some thesis on so-called Armenian genocide and turning it to a decision despite the objection of some members who have wisdom and conscience," said a resolution of the Turkish parliament approved on Wednesday.
The resolution was penned by deputy chairs of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the opposition Good (IYI) Party.
It said the U.S. House's decision was an initiative to darken the historical realities.
Also rejecting the U.S. House's bill seeking sanctions on Turkey, the resolution said: "In the eye of us, the meaning of the U.S. House of Representatives' threat of sanctions is just an attempt to blackmail," the statement said.
"Turkey has never submitted to any blackmail and […] we sharply refuse this decision," it added.
