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Genocide of Pontian Hellenism by Ottoman authorities remembered
(Athens) Memorial services for the more than 350,000 Black Sea Greeks (Pontians) massacred during the 1914-1923 period in Asia Minor by Ottoman authorities were held throughout Greece on the weekend.. Local community leaders and the church held memorial services in major towns throughout the country, with the participation of Pontian organizations.
The massacre coincided with the "resolution of the Armenian question in the Ottoman Empire" via genocide after the end of the First World War.
A 1994 decision by the Greek parliament designated May 19 as the day of remembrance of the 1914-1923 Genocide of Pontian Hellenism by the Young Turk movement and Kemalist forces
In Thessaloniki, the genocide anniversary was marked by two rallies and marches to the Turkish Consulate on Saturday night. State, government and political leaders issued messages on the genocide, while main opposition New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis was the main speaker at an event organized by the Panhellenic Federation of Pontian Associations, held at the Aristotelion University.
President Costis Stephanopoulos, in a message, said that the Pontians, with their heroism and sacrifices and despite the annihilating persecution against them, succeeded in holding high their Greek identity and today were flourishing in both Greece and around the world, setting an example for all.
Prime Minister Costas Simitis, in his own message, said that Greece, unwaveringly devoted to the humanitarian values, reaffirmed its determination to never allow the repetition of such extreme and blatant attacks in our sensitive region.
Greece, he said, would carry on with its constructive contribution, in the framework of the EU and international organizations, for the institution of substantive rules renouncing violence and obliging everyone to respect human rights and their neighbors.
In his address, Karamanlis called the massacre of the Pontians a 'dark page" in the history of humanity.
He criticized the Greek State for not taking an initiative for international recognition of the sacrifice of the Pontians, and called on Turkey to realize that if it wished to become a member of the European Union, it must stop threatening and making claims on its neighbors and stop insulting international organizations.
A peaceful protest march was also staged by Greek-Australians to the Turkish
Consulate in Melbourne, where they posted a resolution condemning the
Pontian genocide and reaffirming their determination to continue their
efforts for its recognition.
Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News Archives