Beleris on the Genocide of the Pontians: recognition of the crimes of the past is a prerequisite for stability in our region

New Democracy and EPP MEP Fredi Beleri stated that “historical information and the designation of past crimes are prerequisites for peace, reconciliation, and stableness successful our region” successful a station marking yesterday’s Day of Remembrance for the Pontian Genocide.

In his societal media post, the MEP wrote:

“A fewer days ago, I received a missive from the Turkish Permanent Delegation successful Brussels protesting my usage of the word ‘genocide’ and attempting to connection humanities interpretations. The information is that the extermination of the Greeks, Armenians, and Assyrians formed portion of a broader and coordinated argumentation of persecution and annihilation carried retired by the Young Turk authorities against the Christian populations of the East.

Historical information and the designation of past crimes are prerequisites for peace, reconciliation, and stableness successful our region. At the aforesaid time, we grant the spot and resilience of the Pontic Greeks, who, contempt displacement and hardship, preserved the faith, identity, and values of Hellenism and contributed decisively to the advancement of modern Greece.

A genocide occurs twice: erstwhile once it is committed and again erstwhile it is forgotten. For this reason, I volition bash everything successful my power, arsenic a Member of the European Parliament, to guarantee that the genocide of the Christian populations of Pontus and Asia Minor is ne'er forgotten and is afloat recognized by the European Parliament, conscionable arsenic the Armenian Genocide has been recognized.

I volition ne'er judge lessons oregon admonitions connected past from anyone. I bash not hide the humanities truth. It is our work to sphere humanities representation truthful that specified atrocities ne'er hap again.”