1 / 6

On May 19, on the memorial day of the Pontian Greeks’ genocide, the Deputy Speaker of the RA National Assembly Eduard Sharmazanov took part in the ceremony of the genocide victims’ memory. The NA Deputy Speaker delivered a speech, particularly noting:

“Today, on May 19, we remember one of the greatest disasters of the beginning of the 20^th century, Memorial Day of the Pontian and Minor Asian Greeks, who have fallen victims of genocide in Ottoman Turkey. One of the most tragic and shameful pages of human history of the 20^th century have been the genocide of the Christian peoples: Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians, perpetuated by Turkey.

Today, united in the heart of Athens, as a symbol of democracy of Ellada, we declare to the whole world our faithfulness to the international condemnation of the genocide and against the Turkish denialism.

The genocide of the Pontian and Minor Asian Greeks was planned beforehand by the Young Turk authorities. It is not accidental that in October 1915 the Military Minister of Turkey Enver Pasha impudently announced that he would solve the Greeks’ problem in the same way, as he solved the Armenians’ problem.

During those same days the first wave of the Greek people’s extermination rose in Zmyrna. On 19 May 1919 in Samsun Kemal Ataturk began the second wave of the Pontian and Minor Asian Greeks.

By his order the Greek and Armenian quarters of Zmyrna were burnt, where dozens of thousands of Greeks and Armenians have fallen victims. It is not accidental that Winston Churchill has stated about the disaster in Zmyrna: Kemal turned it into ashes, exterminating the whole Christian population. Kemal in his turn impudently announced that Turkey has already got rid of aliens and it belongs only to Turks.

The best way of eternalizing the memory of the genocide victims is the memory and the demand. We remember the innocent victims of the genocide, but we should also demand the international recognition of genocides and, particularly, the Pontian Greeks' genocide. Only by condemning the crimes committed against mankind we can close all the doors before new genocides. Today, on May 19, on the Memory Day of the Greek people's genocide in Ottoman Turkey, we say our resolute “no” to the Turkish denialism and genocide, and our resolute “yes” to the international recognition and condemnation of the genocide phenomenon.”