Foreign Minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu sharply criticized Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for his statement on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.

Davutoglu said that it was inaccurate and unfair that judgments on Armenian-Turkish common history are made based on one-side characterization of history.

“We strongly condemn Harper’s statement. Prime Minister Harper’s policy, based on parochial political interests, has damaged Canada-Turkey relations, which have improved since last year,” Davutoglu said.

Canadian Prime Minister issued a statement on the 96th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, saying 96 years ago the Armenian people experienced terrible suffering and loss of life.

“We must never forget the lessons of history. Nor should we allow the enmities of history to divide us,” he said.

Canada officially recognized the 1915 Armenian Genocide back in 2006.

During World War I, the Turkish authorities accused Armenians of showing favor to Russia and used it as a pretext for declaring the Armenian population the nation’s enemy. Many historians consider the events in 1915-1923 as a state-sponsored massacre, genocide. The Armenian side claims over 1.5 million victims, half of the Armenians early in the 20th century.

Many states have recognized the Armenian Genocide. Uruguay was the first to do it in 1965. The Armenian Genocide has since been recognized by Russia, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina, as well as by 42 of the U.S. states. The Armenian Genocide has also been recognized by Vatican, the European Parliament, and World Church Council.

The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the U.S. House of Representatives approved an Armenian Genocide resolution on March 4