Cyprus Action Network of America 

CANA MARKS PONTIAN GENOCIDE REMEMBRANCE DAY

 For Immediate Release:  May 19, 2008

Contact: Nikolaos Taneris, New York, Tel. 1-917-699-9935

NEW YORK—The Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA) stands with the Pontian Hellenic people—and Hellenes around the world—in commemorating  May 19^th, the international day of remembrance for the Pontian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Turkish government, the Young Turks, and Kemalist Turkey directly under the rule of Mustafa Kemal.

Turkey’s genocidal campaign of systematic  persecutions ,massacres,  deportations, rapes and burnings of villages resulting in the murder of the ancient Hellenic civilization of Pontus on the southeast coast of the Black sea—was initiated by the Ottoman Turkish government  during World War I and continued into the nationalist era of Kemalist Turkey, and was carried out under the command of various Turkish government leaders --such as Talaat Pasha  who today has a major thoroughfare named in his honor in Angora, Mustafa Kemal  today honored as ‘father of the Turks’ ,and Topal Osman (leader of irregulars called Chetes whose specific job was the rape and massacre of women, children and the elderly)  today honored by Turkey  with  statues in his likeness in our Pontus homeland.

Turkey, today, continues to degrade the victims of the Pontian Genocide by blatantly denying the genocide of innocent people, by mercilessly enslaving Cyprus in military-occupation, by continuing the near complete ethnic cleansing and cultural genocide of the dwindling Hellenes remaining in Imvros, Tenedos and Constantinople.

CANA remains determined to work in coalition with all people of conscience, and urges the participation of all Hellenic societies in Pontian Genocide commemorations, to secure full recognition and justice for Turkey’s crimes.

 The Pontian Genocide has been formally acknowledged by the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Cyprus, and within the United States, by several states and cities, including the city of Chicago, and the states of New York and New Jersey.

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Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA)

2578 Broadway #132

New York, NY 10025

New York: Tel. 917-699-9935

Email: cana@cyprusactionnetwork.org

www.cyprusactionnetwork.org

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The Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA) is a grass-roots, not-for-profit movement created to support genuine self-determination and human rights for the people of Cyprus.

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