Türkiye rejects 'baseless' far-right Greek claims on 'Pontus'

Claims made by far-right groups in Greece regarding Pontus are "baseless", the Turkish Foreign Ministry has said on some activities and statements made on May 19.

“The claims made by far-right groups in Greece regarding Pontus, which they put forward with populist rhetoric in 1994, 75 years after the start of our War of Independence, which we recognise as May 19, 1919, are baseless,” said the ministry in a statement on late Sunday.

The statement further said that "Pontus" is merely an “antiquated term”, with its activities in the late 19th century being an extension of Greece's "Megali Idea" plan.

“Essentially, the issue revolves around the exploitation of a historical process that ended with the exchange of Turkish and Greek populations, turning it into groundless claims,” it added.

The statement said that the goal of these claims is to damage relations between the two nations and put pressure on the sensible segments of Greek politics.

Stating that there has been a “positive momentum” in bilateral relations between the two countries, the statement added: “Our expectation from the Greek government is for it to take a clear stance against the efforts of some irresponsible politicians to prevent future generations from living in an environment of peace and tranquillity.”