The Foreign Ministry on Monday strongly condemned statements made by Greek officials on May 19, which it described as “delusional” and incompatible with historical facts, in reference to what Athens calls the anniversary of the so-called “Pontic genocide.”
In a written statement, the ministry rejected the allegations, calling them unfounded attempts to discredit Türkiye’s War of Independence, launched under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on May 19, 1919.
“These imaginary claims, fabricated to tarnish our national struggle, are entirely baseless,” the statement said. “They aim to rewrite history and defame the legacy of our War of Independence.”
The ministry underscored that it was the Greek army, during its occupation of Anatolia with the backing of imperialist powers, that committed widespread atrocities — acts that were documented by the Allied Commission of Inquiry and recognized in Article 59 of the Treaty of Lausanne. The treaty obliged Greece to pay compensation for violations of the laws of war.
The statement also addressed the historical context of Pontic activities, linking them to Greece’s irredentist “Megali Idea” ambitions in the late 19th century. These efforts, Ankara noted, were ultimately defeated by the resolve of the Turkish people.
“We urge Greek authorities to stop distorting history for populist gains and instead reflect on the crimes committed against Turks and other ethnic groups, starting with the 1821 Tripolitsa massacre,” the ministry added.
Ankara warned that efforts to stoke animosity through historical revisionism risk undermining the positive momentum in Turkish-Greek relations. “Such hostile initiatives must come to an end,” the ministry said.
The Greeks who resided in the Black Sea region referred to the area as Pontus, based on the ancient Pontus kingdom founded in 301 B.C.
Far-right Greek groups brought up the so-called Pontic genocide allegations against Türkiye to boost their political influence and win the support of populists in Europe. Greece marked May 19 as Pontic Greek Genocide Day in 1994. The so-called genocide refers to the alleged killing of ethnic Greeks by Turks in the Black Sea region during World War I and the subsequent Greek-Turkish War.