ATHENS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd May, 2019) The Greek Foreign Ministry on Wednesday accused Turkey of misinterpreting history and urged its government to recognize the genocide of the Pontic Greeks to prevent these "darkest moments" from happening again.
On Tuesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement denouncing remarks made by some Greek politicians about the Pontian Greek genocide. In it, the ministry accused these lawmakers of distorting "historical facts for their political motives," pointing out that Greek had an obligation to pay compensation under the Treaty of Lausanne "for the atrocities committed by [Greece's] army" during the 1919-1922 Greco-Turkish War.
"Yesterday's announcement by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs constitutes yet another inappropriate exercise in misconstruing history ... It is the historic duty of all of us, and especially of our neighboring country Turkey, to recognize events such as the genocide of the Pontian Greeks so that the darkest moments of the past are not repeated and in order to heal the deep wounds left behind," the statement read.
The ministry stressed that self-criticism and the recognition of historical truths were crucial to maintaining a dialogue reaching reconciliation between nations.
On May 19, Greece marked Pontian Greek Genocide Remembrance Day. Athens has officially recognized the killing of more than 350,000 Greeks who lived in Anatolia during World War II and its aftermath as genocide. For Turkey, this day marks the beginning of its national struggle that led to the founding of the Turkish Republic.
