Turkey said Wednesday it is recalling its ambassador to Austria after parties represented in parliament signed a declaration recognizing the massacre of Armenians a century ago as genocide.
The six parties signed a declaration on Tuesday and held a minute of silence in memory of the victims.
“Due to the historic responsibility – the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was allied with the Osman Empire during World War I – it is our responsibility to recognize the terrible events as genocide and to condemn them,” the declaration stated.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry recalled Turkey’s Ambassador to Vienna Mehmet Hasan Göğüş to Ankara for consultations after the Austrian Parliament’s decision.
“This declaration….has caused outrage for us,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “We reject this biased attitude of the Austrian parliament, trying to lecture others on history, which has no room in today’s world.
“It is clear that this declaration…will have permanent negative effects on Turkey-Austria relations.”