Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Giorgos Arnautis said in response to a journalist’s question about today’s statement by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the statements of Greek officials on the Day of the Pontic Genocide:

“All countries are proud of their history, and all are judged by their contribution to world culture. Greece is one of them. But History also hides dark moments that cannot be forgotten, written off, or falsified. The Pontic genocide is undoubtedly one of them. Only by facing historical truth and admitting their mistakes can countries work together to create a better future. In such a context, there is no place for extremes.”

The Turkish Foreign Ministry earlier today, in a statement released to the public, dismissed references to the Pontic genocide as “baseless allegations”. […] some radical groups against Turkish history […] who foment hostility towards Turkey”, while at the same time he also accused “some politicians in Greece” of “distorting historical data”.