We regret the baseless claims and remarks distorting our recent history expressed by Katerina Sakelloropoulou, President of Greece, at an event to introduce the design of the “Hall for the Global Pontian Greeks of Sourmena”, planned to be built in the Elliniko-Agrirupoli district of Athens.

These allegations do not change the very fact that it was Greece that attempted to invade and occupy Anatolia, and that the Greek army committed barbaric crimes against humanity, especially against innocent civilians in the Western Anatolian region. We would like to remind once again that in the face of these atrocities, which were also recorded in the report of the Allied Powers Inquiry Commission, Greece was obliged to pay a compensation, pursuant to the Article 59 of the Lausanne Peace Treaty.

False accusations frequently put forward by Greece overshadow the efforts towards establishing a sincere and honest dialogue for the settlement of the problems between the two countries.

Such attitudes and behaviors are incompatible with responsibilities expected from dignitaries of state. In this context, we once again invite our neighbor Greece to adhere to common sense and constructive understanding.