Türkiye calls on Greece for 'common sense,' to end 'inciting hatred'

ANKARA

Türkiye on Friday lashed out against Greece's recent events held under the "Asia Minor Catastrophe," urging Athens for "common sense."

A Foreign Ministry statement noted that Greece is trying to mislead its public as well as the international community with "lies" and "by distorting historical facts" through the "Asia Minor Catastrophe" events.

"We observe that Greek authorities are trying to conceal the defeat of the Greek invasion army after its adventurous military campaign in Anatolia a century ago, by covering up the barbaric crimes it committed against humanity, misleading its own public opinion through distortion of the historical facts, and the international community with lies, by means of unrealistic, irrational statements and activities regarding the so-called 'Asia Minor Catastrophe'," the statement said.

Reminding Athens of "the provision in Article 59 of the Lausanne Peace Treaty, which stipulates that 'Greece recognizes her obligation to make reparation for the damage caused in Anatolia by the acts of the Greek army or administration which were contrary to the laws of war'," the statement said: "Greece acknowledged that it committed crimes against humanity and paid reparations for the massacres and destructions it perpetrated against the civilian population in Anatolia."

The world acknowledges Greece's continuing acts of "crimes against humanity with its ruthless actions, by leaving helpless immigrants to death, without distinguishing between women-children," the ministry noted, saying Athens has not "learnt any lesson from history."

Türkiye vowed to continue reminding "Greece, which tries to distort historical events with lies, of the black stains of its history and of today, and to tell the realities to the international community," and urged Athens to show "common sense and (to) stop inciting hatred through falsification of facts."

Türkiye has complained of repeated provocative actions and rhetoric by Greece in the region in recent months, saying such moves frustrate its good faith efforts for peace.

According to Ankara, such harassment is incompatible with a NATO ally, and Greece is seeking to raise tensions in the region.