The victims of the Black Sea Hellenism Genocide, 88 years ago, were honoured by the Pampontian Federation of Greece (POE) and the issue was raised of the Genocide's recognition by international organisations and Turkey, during an event held in Agia Sofia Square in Thessaloniki, Macedonia, on Saturday night, where the Genocide Memorial has been built.

Minister of Macedonia and Thrace George Kalantzis said that Genocide is a crime that is never written off, underlining that Greece will not allow anyone to falsify history and adding that the government is supporting efforts being made by Black Sea Greeks' organisation to have the Genocide recognised by international organisations.

The demonstrators organised a protest march to the Turkish consulate at the end of the event.

An event in memory of the genocide of Pontian Greeks, who had for centuries inhabited the shores of the Black Sea, was held in Thessaloniki on Saturday. The date of May 19 has been established as a day of memory for the Pontian genocide by Turkey.

The central speaker was indepedent MP Stelios Papathemelis, who also leads his recently revivied "Dimokratiki Anagennisi" party.

Calling genocide "the crime of crimes", he said that the killings and finally the uprooting of those that survived in Pontus, Asia Minor and Thrace were "one of the most horrific images in world history".

He also accused Ankara of continuing to trample on the human and religious rights of the Greek minority in Turkey and of violating Greece's borders on a daily basis.

Source: Athens News Agency

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