Turkey has denounced a motion by the Dutch parliament on Thursday calling on the government to formally recognize the Armenian genocide.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hami Aksoy said the move is “is a null attempt to rewrite history with political motives.”

“Councils are not venues to write history and trial it. Those who agree with this decision, instead of looking for what actually happened in 1915, are after votes as a populist,” Aksoy said.

“We invite you to support the efforts for a better understanding of a historical issue,” he said, adding that Turkey’s proposal for a joint History Commission “was one of these efforts.”

He said the Dutch House of Representatives is detached from reality as it has been frequently in recent years.

Aksoy invited the Dutch government to wage a struggle against racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia rather than discriminatory practices leading to the resignation of the government and instead of taking decisions against Turkey.

The House of Representatives of the Netherlands on Thursday adopted a motion put forward by MP Joël Voordewind (ChristenUnie), calling on the Dutch government explicitly to recognize the Armenian Genocide.