In his address at the inauguration of the Park in Paphos, in memory of the thousands of victims of Pontian Hellenism, Petridis said that in today's extremely difficult global situation with the war in Ukraine, Turkey is trying to present itself as a mediator for reaching a solution. "But it has become obvious, with its pretentious neutrality and its reaction to Finland and Sweden's NATO membership applications, that its ultimate goal is to serve its revisionist ambitions mainly in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean, in the blackmailing way it has historically continued," he said.
Despite the suffering and the obvious violation of every concept of international law, as Greek Cypriots, what we seek is the achievement of peace and security in our land, which has suffered for 48 years from the illegal occupation of territory, he continued.
Defence Minister Haralambos Petrides said that the park is a reminder of "the heinous crimes committed against Hellenism by Turkish expansionism, repeatedly, throughout history."
In his address, Mr. Petridis noted that Cyprus, having experienced the Turkish atrocity itself, was the first country, after Greece, to recognize the genocide by a decision of the House of Representatives on May 19, 1994.
The Greeks of Pontus experienced, as he said, perhaps more than anyone else, the cruel side of the face of history, since thousands of innocent souls were lost due to a systematic and organized policy of extermination. A crime triggered by the gradual emergence and growing influence of Turkish nationalism.
Today, through the inauguration of the "Pontian Genocide Park", we commemorate the thousands of victims of Turkish nationalism, which does not tolerate diversity in ethnicity, culture, ideology and religion, he continued. "We must not forget but always seek vindication and recognition of Turkey's crimes", he concluded.
Finally, he thanked the Municipality of Paphos and its mayor, Mr. Faydon Faydonos, for their commendable initiative.
Source: KYPE
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