Turkish Foreign Ministry speaks of “delusional” statements by Greek officials, accusing Greece of “distorting historical” facts.
The statements made today by the state and political leadership of Greece, the President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in which they commemorated the sad anniversary of the Genocide of the Greeks of Pontus, have caused irritation in Ankara.
An announcement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry speaks of “delusional” statements by Greek officials, accusing Greece of “distorting historical events”.
“We completely reject the unfounded and delusional announcements of the Greek authorities, which, under the pretext of the anniversary of May 19, 1919, distort the historical reality,” the provocative statement states, among other things.
In an effort, as it does in the case of the Armenians, Turkey is trying to reverse the roles of victim and perpetrator, accusing Greece of “atrocities” against the Turks during the Asia Minor Campaign.
“We call on Greece to work together for peace, stability, and a future of prosperity, based on cooperation, instead of trying to falsify historical facts,” the provocative statement concludes.
Turkey stubbornly refuses to accept the historical reality and the crimes that took place in the period 1914-1923 in its territory. Turkey denies – as in the case of the Armenians – that there was a Genocide of the Greeks of Pontus, attributing the thousands of deaths to war losses caused by Greece, invading Anatolia, plague, and diseases.
At the same time, Turkey accuses Greece and the Pontian Bodies of distorting the facts for political motives.
Yunanistan’da 19 Mayıs 2021 Tarihinde Düzenlenen Bazı Etkinlikler ve Yapılan Açıklamalar Hk. https://t.co/nAlB3ndQF6 pic.twitter.com/sOINnLmNHp
— T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı (@TC_Disisleri) May 19, 2021