“Officers, NCOs, Privates, Seamen, Airmen, National Guards and Civilian Personnel,
it is a day of commemoration and contemplation, dedicated to the genocide of the Pontic Greeks.
On such days, all Greeks should be united and draw lessons from our history and be ready to face any threat against our nation, honouring at the same time our ancestors to whom we owe our existence.
The genocide of the Greek people of the Black Sea during the period 1914-1923, caused thousands of deaths. During this period, Greeks of the Black Sea were chased away and eradicated, after approximately 3,000 years they inhabited this area in which they formed the local cultural legacy, as proved by the Greek names and the historical monuments that have been saved. However, these facts have been deeply kept in our memories so that they remind us this crime and we honour the Pontic Greeks whose conscience has been influencing the peoples of the East for centuries.
So, nowadays, we honour thousands of Greeks, famous and not famous, Pontic men, women and children who were tortured, chased away, and finally annihilated by the state of Kemal Ataturk and Neoturks. The manner in which our neighbours think of historical facts does not surprise us; since that day when Kemal landed on Samsun and started the plan of the genocide of Pontic Greeks is a national holiday in Turkey.
We honour our brothers who were eradicated from their home and left behind houses, tombs of ancestors and the wealth of the Greek tradition across centuries.
We honour the contribution of this proud people of our nation, to our history, to our orthodox religion and to the creation of the conscience, culture and development of the Modern Greek state.
The Pontic Greeks are an example to be followed by all of us, since they survive approximately 100 years after the tortures and persecutions; they survive and keep their traditions, customs, mores and ideals.
The tribute that they pay to their heroes, the Pyrrhic dance with its ancient Greek roots as well as the rich Orthodox tradition of Pontic Greeks are some of the evidence which proves the continuation of the Greek nation in the wider area of Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor and Caucasus.
This evidence constituted the identification of our entire people, it has imbued every Greek man and woman; they have not changed over time and they make us special.
It is also an obligation of the new generation towards our history to protect the Greek monuments in the area of the Black Sea, as well as the Orthodox churches, particularly the Sumela Monastery which is still standing proud and majestic in the Pontic land as an eternal symbol of the Pontic Greeks.
Our people have suffered many adversities. The real facts that have marked the Greek and World history are not open to different interpretations and perceptions.
The international recognition of the genocide of Pontic Greeks is a constant struggle in which we are obliged to succeed, in order to vindicate every Greek all over the world. The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide which was approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948 will help our effort. Proving true historical facts is our duty.
Nowadays, as Armed Forces, we honour the Pontic Greeks and their history and we assure the entire Greek nation that we will guarantee their security and stability in our area and we will not allow crimes against our people to be committed again.
Our personnel and our conscripts, loyal to the oath that they have taken to defend our country, are our answer to anyone who covets our Nation’s ideals.
I wish Virgin Mary to give strength to all of you, our Pontic brothers worldwide and to the entire Greek Nation”.
