In a confrontational statement filled with provocative language, Turkey is once again attempting to rewrite history and undermine its documented actions against the Greeks of Pontus, even disputing the terms of the Lausanne Treaty.
On the anniversary of the Pontian Genocide, Ankara has reiterated its attacks on Greece through inaccurate and inflammatory remarks. The Turkish Foreign Ministry dismissed reports of atrocities against the Greeks of Pontus as “fantastic,” attempting to distort historical facts while rejecting all accusations.
Turkey has accused the Greek side of attempting to manipulate history and even referenced the Treaty of Lausanne, neglecting the fact that this document recognizes its crimes against the Greek population of Asia Minor. Furthermore, Ankara has framed the claims of the Pontian people as an effort to undermine the Ottoman Empire, ignoring the systematic extermination of Pontian Greeks.
Employing its standard rhetoric, Turkish officials have sought to reverse the narrative, pointing fingers at “Greek atrocities” in an effort to minimize the mass killings and deportations suffered by Pontian Hellenism.
Excerpt from the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s statement
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We condemn these implausible statements, which are fundamentally at odds with historical truths, made by Greek authorities in conjunction with the anniversary of the unfounded “Pontian” claims. We wholly reject these outlandish assertions, which aim to undermine our Independence Struggle that began under the leadership of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on May 19, 1919.
Historically, the Greek military has committed numerous atrocities in Asia Minor, supported by the imperialist powers of the time. Greece’s current attempts to distort this history are both invalid and baseless.
The Greek atrocities in Asia Minor, noted in the reports of the Allied Commission of Inquiry, were also addressed in Article 59 of the Lausanne Peace Treaty, which required Greece to pay reparations for violations of wartime law.
The Pontian movement, arising in the late 19th century as part of Greece’s aspirations for the “Great Idea” in our regions, was ultimately destined to fail through our nation’s unwavering resistance. We urge the Greek authorities to cease exploiting these historical events for populism and to acknowledge the violent crimes committed against the Turks and other ethnic groups, beginning with the Tripolitsa massacre of 1821.
Efforts to stir historical animosity and damage the improving relations between our nations must now come to a halt.
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