Newsletters
Türkiye's Foreign Ministry on Sunday strongly rejected what it called "baseless and insolent" statements made by Greek officials during commemorative events in Athens, escalating diplomatic tensions between the two NATO allies.
The ministry issued a written statement condemning Greek authorities for making "unfounded claims under the pretext of the so-called anniversary" related to Greece's historical occupation attempts in Anatolia.
"We reject the baseless and insolent statements made by Greek authorities regarding unfounded claims about the period when Greece was in an effort to occupy and invade Anatolia under the pretext of the so-called anniversary," the Foreign Ministry said in its statement.
The diplomatic rebuke came in response to events held in Athens on September 14, which Greece observes as the "National Day of Remembrance for the Asia Minor Catastrophe and the Genocide of Greeks." During these commemorations, Greek officials made statements about the historical period that Türkiye characterized as contrary to historical facts.
Türkiye's Foreign Ministry emphasized that such declarations "contradict historical realities and efforts aimed at developing friendly relations between the two countries."
The statement called on Greek officials to abandon what Ankara described as actions motivated by domestic political considerations that aim to foster hostility between the two nations.
"We call on Greek officials to refrain from acting with domestic political motives and from engaging in initiatives that aim to create hostility between the two nations," the ministry said.
The September 14 observance in Greece commemorates the aftermath of the 1922 Greco-Turkish War in Anatolia, which resulted in population exchanges and migration. Greek municipal leaders have described the day as representing "the pain of the past and the hope of a new beginning."
1 min read
