Persecution of Christians in the Ottoman Empire

A month after reports revealed that the birthplace of Greek novelist Elias Venezis in Ayvalik, Turkey, was in a state of near collapse, restoration work has begun.

The property, where Venezis lived until he was 18, has long held symbolic importance for the Greek community of Asia Minor.

Greeks marked National Day of Remembrance of the Genocide of the Greeks of Asia Minor on Saturday with Defense Minister Nikos Dendias paying tribute to the victims in a post on X.

Acknowledgement and vigilance is required for the victims of the Armenian Genocide, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said in a statement on Wednesday, marking the 109th anniversary since the start of a systematic extermination of one and a half million Armenians during the last period of the Ottoman Empire.

Based on these facts, the Greeks will be extinct around the middle of the following century…

One hundred and one years ago, Ataturk's army expelled my great-grandmother and her family from Yeronda, now known as Didim, their ancestral homeland in Anatolia. I actively campaign for the American and Canadian governments to recognize the Greek genocide. I constantly criticize Ankara's democratic back-sliding, mistreatment of minorities and aggressive foreign policy.

Greece should advocate a new approach to genocide remembrance. Currently genocides are memorialized on a parochial basis.

The anniversary of the Pontian Greek Genocide "reminds the international community of the importance, for the peaceful coexistence of peoples, of recognising crimes against humanity in order to prevent their repetition in the future," President Katerina Sakellaropoulou has said.

On May 19 we commemorate the genocide of the Greeks of Pontus, a chapter of a broader genocide perpetrated by the Turkish state in the early 20th century against its Christian inhabitants that resulted in the deaths of more than 2.5 million Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians.

With declarations from the parliamentary rostrum, the political formations in the 49th National Assembly marked the 108th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The leader of "Vazrazhdane" (Revival) Kostadin Kostadinov reminded:

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias has issued a message to mark the 108th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

"Preserving the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide is the minimum duty of all humanity. Our thoughts today are with the Armenians of our homeland and with the entire world," Dendias tweeted.