Armenia mark Day of Remembrance of Victims of Genocide of the Pontic  Greeks

ArmInfo.  On May 19, the Greeks of Armenia mark the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Genocide of the Pontic Greeks. On this occasion, at 11:40 a.m., a memorial  service for the victims will be held in the St. Sarkis Church in  Yerevan. The Genocide of the Pontic and Asia Minor Greeks was carried  out along with the Genocide of the Armenians and other indigenous  peoples living in their homeland. "In the 21st century, the fate of  the victims of the Genocide of the Greeks, Armenians and Assyrians  befell the Greeks and Armenians of Artsakh. Erdogan openly stated  that it was Turkey that helped Azerbaijan occupy Artsakh: there was a  blockade, many victims and the subsequent occupation of the entire  territory, accompanied by the ethnic cleansing of Armenians. The  civilized world, like a century ago, was outraged, after which it  recognized Turkey's policy as an accomplished fact. 

They say that murderers have no nationality. This can be agreed with  if the crime is committed on a domestic basis. But when there is a  planned, state-organized mass murder of civilians on the basis of  nationality, it would be blasphemy against the memory of the murdered  Greeks, Armenians, Assyrians and representatives of other nations not  to mention the nationality of the murderers. In the language of  international law, an organized mass murder committed by one nation  against another is classified as genocide. According to the great  Christian wisdom reflected in the laws of European countries, a  murderer is not deprived of life, but is given the opportunity to  save if not his body, then at least his soul. Even the most terrible  crime can be, if not forgotten, then forgiven if the criminal has  realized the full gravity of the act he committed and repented. In  Christianity, this gives him a chance to save his soul, I think this  issue is also sufficiently covered in the suras of the Koran. For  over a century, Turkey has had the opportunity to repent, but it not  only denies the monstrous crimes it has committed, but also continues  to pursue a policy that is essentially little different from the  policy of the Ottoman Turks. With such an approach to its own  history, Turkey, naturally, could not do without major falsifications  in the present and in the future. As a result of the genocide of  indigenous Christian peoples in Turkey, a complete  de-Christianization of the territory took place. More than 5 million  Christians died. And this crime will never be forgotten!" Chairman of  the Organization of Greeks of Armenia and Artsakh "Patrida" Eduard  Polatov told an ArmInfo correspondent.

On March 24, 2015, the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia  adopted a resolution recognizing and condemning the genocide of  Greeks and Assyrians in Ottoman Turkey.

On May 19, Pontic Greeks around the world, including in Armenia,  celebrate the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Greek  Genocide. This day is as important for them as April 24 is for  Armenians. May 19 was declared the Day of Remembrance of the Victims  of the Greek Genocide by the decision of the Greek Parliament on  February 24, 1994, and was due to the fact that it was on this day in  1919 that General Mustafa Kemal was sent to Pontos, after which  anti-Greek sentiments intensified, and a real catastrophe began for  the Pontians.

The genocide of the Greeks of Pontos (most of which was the former  Ottoman vilayet of Trebizond) was carried out in 1916-1923. first by  the Young Turks, then by the Kemalists, and the number of victims was  350 thousand people. This was a continuation of the genocidal policy  that had already been applied and was being carried out against the  Armenian people. The property of the Pontians was also robbed, the  youth was mobilized and killed, the civilian population was deported.  On the other hand, the tragedy of the Pontian Greeks is part of the  genocide committed in 1914-1923 against all other Greeks, subjects of  the Ottoman Empire, since in addition to Pontus, Greeks from other  regions of Asia Minor, as well as Eastern Thrace, also became victims  of deportation and massacre. The Greeks of Pontus have been fighting  for many years for international recognition of the genocide and the  restoration of historical justice.