The Brazil Foreign Ministry

BRASILIA, Brazil—The Foreign Ministry of Brazil on Tuesday issued a statement saying it “regrets the decision of the Turkish Government recalling for consultations its Ambassador in Brazil,” after Turkey on Monday pulled it envoy to the Latin American country, whose senate last week approved a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

Brazil’s foreign ministry said if also “regrets the terms of a statement released by the Turkish Government regarding the adoption of the Application No. 550 by the Senate, which contains a ‘Motion of Solidarity with the Armenian people in the Centennial of the extermination campaign against its population’.”

“On June 1, the Turkish ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and was received by the Secretary General of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sergio Danese, who gave extensive explanations on the procedures in progress in the Senate, about the meaning of the Application and the traditional position of Brazil in the matter, which remains unchanged. The same explanation was provided by the Secretary General to the Ambassador of Armenia,” added the statement.

“The Senate acted within its constitutional prerogatives and in line with the principle of independence of powers enshrined in the Brazilian constitution. The Brazilian Government maintains the expectation that bilateral relations with Turkey, formally defined as strategic by both countries, may soon return to full normality.”

“We condemn the Resolution of the Brazilian Senate on the events of 1915, which distorts the historical truths and ignores the law, and consider it as an example of irresponsibility,” said the Turkish Foreign Ministry in its statement issued on Monday.

“Every time the Turkish State feels its negationist strategy threatened over a new declaration in favor of recognizing the Armenian Genocide in the world, it presses and detonates diplomatic channels,” explained Dr. Alfonso Tabakian, Director of the Armenian National Committee of South America. “The Senate of Brazil took another step and joined the legislative, executive and judicial powers in South America who travel the road of truth and justice for this crime against humanity,” he added.