Former Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos has made a blistering message to Turkey, calling it a "disgrace to democracy."
"This year, too, we commemorate the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey in 1915. At the same time, we commemorate the 1,500,000 innocent souls who were massacred in one of the most heinous crimes against humanity," said Pavlopoulos.
The former President then went on to highlight the special bond that Greeks and Armenians share.
"Greece and Armenia, Armenia and Greece, have been cooperating, with close ties of friendship, for many decades on the uphill path of defending emblematic principles and values, especially the defence of Peace, Fundamental Human Rights, Justice and, above all, of Social Justice. These foundations of such sincere friendship and close cooperation between Greece and Armenia, Armenia and Greece, are also based on the martyrdom moments that our Nations have experienced. Moments that we must not forget, not in the least, not because we have feelings of revenge against our perpetrators. But because this memory inspires us and guides us to serve, in perpetuity, the great Humanitarian principle: Never again," he emphasised.
He then did not shy away from graphically describing the genocides committed by the Ottoman Empire and Nationalist Turks.
"In particular, we will never forget that these martyrdom moments are drenched in the blood of the tragic victims of barbaric genocides, in particular the Armenian Genocide on the one hand, and the Genocide of the Greeks of Pontus and Asia Minor on the other. As it is known, Greece was a pioneer when, in 1996, with Law 2397/1996, it recognised the Armenian Genocide and established on April 24 the Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide, while in 2014 it criminalised its denial. For its part, in 2015 the Plenary Session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia recognised the Genocide of the Greeks of Pontus," he proudly said.
"And we, the Greeks, welcome the fact that the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is dramatically expanding, with the recent resolution of the US House of Representatives being a prime example. We say to Turkey that it would be in its best interest to express a heartfelt apology for the crimes against humanity it has committed in the past, both against Armenians and against Greeks. The more it insists on falsifying history and covering up this unspeakable barbarism, the more it is despising man and his value, on the fringes of the International Community and is a disgrace to democracy and culture," the former President continued.
"With these thoughts, and with the hope that we will never, again, experience similar moments of barbarism in the future, I thank you again for the great honour you have bestowed on me and I assure you that I will always be by your side in the struggle for universal recognition, worldwide, of the Armenian Genocide. Eternal is the Holy Memory of the tragic Victims of the Armenian Genocide," he concluded.
In an effort to create a "Turkey for the Turks," the Nationalist Turks led a campaign of genocide and terror against the Greeks, Armenians and Assyrians, exterminating the near entirety of their population in Turkey, killing around 3 million Christians.
[su_youtube_advanced url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFEe8g2XXT0&feature=emb_title" width="300" height="200" theme="light" title="Lethal Nationalism: Genocide of the Greeks 1913-1923"]The world however is now discovering this horrendous crime, and a new documentary about the Greek Genocide will be released later this year, as reported by Greek City Times. The trailer can be seen above.
