The U.S. Congress members and senators wrote a letter to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling on him to retract his remarks that defined Zionism as a “crime against humanity.”

The letter written by Reps. Steve Israel and Doug Lamborn and Sens. Mark Kirk and Bill Nelson was signed by 89 bi-partisan and bi-cameral Members of Congress.

“Zionism is a non-discriminatory affirmation of Jewish nationhood, and the Prime Minister’s comment disparages this noble historical enterprise,” Rep. Israel said.

In his turn, Senator Kirk said Erdogan “continues to pursue a policy of distance and isolation from the West” and urged the Prime Minister to apologize for his remarks and chart a better course for the future of the Turkish people.

During a United Nations conference in Vienna, Erdogan called Zionism a “crime against humanity” and compared it with anti-Semitism and fascism.