Reaffirms Commitment to a Truthful and Just Resolution of all of Turkey’s Genocidal Crimes
WASHINGTON—The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) joined today with Pontian Greeks—and all Hellenes, Assyrians, Syriacs, and other communities representing the victims of Turkey’s genocidal campaign against its Christian minorities—in commemorating May 19th, the international day of remembrance for the genocide initiated by the Ottoman Empire and continued by Kemalist Turkey against the historic Greek population of Pontus along the southeastern coast of the Black Sea.
“We join with all our brothers and sisters—in the Hellenic, Assyrian, Chaldean, Syriac, and other Christian communities subjected to genocide under Ottoman and Turkish rule—in solemnly marking the anniversary of the Pontian Genocide, a genocide that remains unrecognized by its perpetrator and unpunished by the international community,” said Aram Hamparian, the executive director of the ANCA. “In commemorating this date, we reaffirm our determination to work in concert with all the victims of Turkey’s genocidal campaigns to secure full recognition and justice for these crimes.”
The Ottoman Empire, under the cover of World War I, undertook a systematic and deliberate effort to eliminate its minority Christian populations. This genocidal campaign resulted in the death and deportation of well over 2 million Armenians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, and Greeks.
The Pontian Genocide has been formally acknowledged by Greece and Cyprus and, within the United States, by the states of New York, New Jersey, Florida, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, among others.
I stand for supporting our Assyrian and Greecian brothers and sisters. But they are many times more apathetic then Armenians are. What do Greeks want out of the Pontician genocide? I don’t see anything. Greece doesn’t care one bit, and I don’t think the average Greek individual anywhere in the world really cares either. If they don’t care, why should we? I am not sure we Armenians really care either. Why are we asking for a recognition of our own genocide? I don’t see any demands out there for anything more than an “I’m sorry” and then the Armenians will fold up their tents and go home. All three of us, Hyes, Asorees and Hellenics are pathetic if you ask me. Turkey is probably going to smash all three of us to bits again. Don’t get me started on how apathetic Armenians are in Canada and America.