G. Maniatis: "The European Parliament should recognize the Genocide of the Greeks of Pontus and Asia Minor"

In his speech, he emphasized the systematic and centrally organized effort to exterminate the Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks of Asia Minor and Pontus by the Ottoman Empire, noting that hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives and even more became refugees, including his family.

G. Maniatis pointed out the recent events in Nagorno-Karabakh, where thousands of Armenians were forced to abandon their ancestral homes, emphasizing the need to maintain recognition and historical memory, as without it "the past can easily be repeated," as he underlined.

At this point, he criticized Turkey's refusal to recognize the crimes of its past, noting that the European Parliament, just as it has recognized the Armenian Genocide, must do the same with the Genocide of all Greek populations of Asia Minor and Pontus, of the period 1913-1923.

The full text of the speech follows:

"In a few days we will commemorate the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenians, Assyrians and Greek populations of Asia Minor and Pontus were the victims of a systematic and centrally organized extermination effort by the Ottomans.

Hundreds of thousands lost their lives and even more became refugees, including my family.

Unfortunately, the recent events in Nagorno-Karabakh, where thousands of Armenians were forced to flee their ancestral homes and the destruction of their monuments, are a stark reminder that without historical memory, the past is easily repeated.

Turkey refuses to acknowledge the crimes of its past.

The European Parliament has taken the step and recognized the Armenian Genocide.

It must do the same with the genocide of all the Greek populations of Asia Minor and Pontus who suffered a similar fate in the period 1913-1923. Thank you.”