Greece’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Wednesday rebuking attempts by the Turkish Foreign Ministry to deny certain historical truths including the genocide of the Pontian Greek population.
"Yesterday’s (Tuesday's) announcement by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs constitutes yet another inappropriate exercise in misconstruing history," the Greek foreign ministry said in its announcement.
"It is the historic duty of all of us, and especially of our of neighbouring country Turkey, to recognise 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 ministry announcement said.
"The recognition of historical truth, self-criticism, and the abandonment of revisionism is a show of strength, not weakness. They are requisites for dialogue in good faith, the tackling of extremities of nationalism, conciliation between peoples and countries and their peaceful co-existence."
"This is the stance, both in life as well as in politics, that Eleftherios Venizelos chose when he nominated Mustafa Kemal Ataturk for the Nobel Peace Prize. And this continues to form, even today, part of the significant legacy that the great Greek politician left behind, for Greek-Turkish relations, but not limited to just that."
The Turkish Foreign Ministry announcement said that "the attempts of some radical groups to cast a shadow on this meaningful day with their imaginary claims targeting our history, with their activities seeking to fuel hatred against Turkey as well as the statements of some politicians in Greece that distort historical facts for their political motives cannot be accepted.”
"We remind the claimants of these unsubstantiated allegations that the responsibility of Greece for the atrocities committed by her army, which also violated laws of war while invading Anatolia, and her obligation to pay a compensation were laid down in the Treaty of Lausanne.”
*Image Source: ArmeniaNow.com
