Türkiye rejects far-right Greek groups’ ‘baseless’ Pontus claims

“The claims made by far-right groups in Greece regarding Pontus, which they put forward with populist rhetoric in 1994, 75 years after the start of our War of Independence, which we recognize as May 19, 1919, are baseless,” said the Foreign Ministry in a statement.

The statement further said that Pontus is merely an “antiquated term,” with its activities in the late 19th century being an extension of Greece’s Megali Idea plan.

“Essentially, the issue revolves around the exploitation of a historical process that ended with the exchange of Turkish and Greek populations, turning it into groundless claims,” it added.

The statement said that the goal of these claims was to damage relations between the two nations and put pressure on the sensible segments of Greek politics.

Referring to a “positive momentum” in bilateral relations between the two countries, the statement added: “Our expectation from the Greek government is for it to take a clear stance against the efforts of some irresponsible politicians to prevent future generations from living in an environment of peace and tranquility.”

The Greeks who resided in the Black Sea region referred to the area as Pontus, based on the ancient Pontus kingdom founded in 301 B.C.

Far-right Greek groups brought up the so-called Pontic genocide allegations against Türkiye to boost their political influence and win the support of populists in Europe. Greece marked May 19 as “Pontic Greek Genocide Day” in 1994. The so-called genocide refers to the alleged killing of ethnic Greeks by Turks in the Black Sea region during World War I and the subsequent Greek-Turkish War.

In return, Ankara argues it was the Greek military that attempted to invade Anatolia and committed “crimes against humanity against innocent people” in Western Anatolia, citing Article 59 of the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, which recognized Greece’s war crimes at the time.

Historic rivals Türkiye and Greece have been holding talks since last year aimed at putting aside decades-old disputes but tensions remain under the surface.

The neighbors, which are NATO allies, have been at odds for decades over a series of issues, including territorial claims in the Aegean Sea and drilling rights in the Mediterranean, and have come to the brink of war three times in the last half-century. A dispute over energy exploration rights in 2020 led to the two countries’ warships facing off in the Mediterranean.

They agreed last December to put their disputes aside and focus on areas where they can find consensus. The list of items on the “positive agenda” includes trade, energy, education and cultural ties.

Since that summit in Athens, the regional rivals have maintained regular high-level contacts to promote fence-mending initiatives, such as allowing Turkish citizens to visit 10 Greek islands without cumbersome visa procedures.

Speaking at a press conference after meeting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul last week, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the deal allowed Turks and Greeks to “get to know each other, which is an important step.”

Similarly, Erdoğan referred to the Turkish Muslim minority in Greece’s Western Thrace region as a “friendship bridge between the two communities.”

The propensity for quarrels remains, however. The recent reopening of a former Greek Orthodox church in Istanbul for use as a mosque led to Greece accusing Türkiye of “insulting the character” of a World Heritage Site.

Türkiye, meanwhile, criticized a Greek plan unveiled last month for “marine parks” in parts of the Ionian and Aegean Seas. Ankara said the one-sided declaration was “a step that sabotages the normalization process.”

But such low-level disputes are far removed from relations a few years ago when energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean resulted in a naval confrontation and a vow by Erdoğan to halt talks with Mitsotakis’ government.

Sabah Gazetesi