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Türkiye on Monday condemned statements made by Greek officials on the so-called anniversary of “unfounded Pontic allegations,” accusing Athens of distorting history and attempting to undermine bilateral relations.
“We condemn the delusional statements, which are completely incompatible with historical facts, made by Greek authorities on the pretext of the anniversary of unfounded 'Pontic' allegations,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a written statement.
Ankara firmly rejected the allegations, describing them as “imaginary” and aimed at defaming Türkiye’s War of Independence, launched under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on May 19, 1919.
Ankara accused Greece of attempting to "read history in reverse," calling the allegations "null and void.”.
The ministry said it is a "historical reality" that the Greek army committed "countless atrocities in Anatolia," which it occupied with the support of imperialist powers of the time.
The ministry cited reports from the Allied Commission of Inquiry and Article 59 of the Treaty of Lausanne, which recorded Greek violations of the laws of war and imposed compensation obligations on Athens.
It also condemned “Pontic activities,” which it characterized as extensions of Greece’s Megali Idea expansionist ambitions in the late 19th century, and said they were defeated by the “resolute struggle” of the Turkish nation.
The ministry urged Greek authorities to "abandon their policy of exploiting for populist goals those historical events which led to the Turkish-Greek population exchange" and called on them to remember the "brutal crimes committed against Turks and other ethnic groups, beginning with the Tripolitsa massacre of 1821."
“Such initiatives that draw hostility from history and aim to harm the relations between our countries, which have been advancing with a positive momentum in recent years, should now be brought to an end,” the statement concluded.
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