National & International Affirmation
The Greek Genocide has been recognized by a number of international parliamentary bodies and genocide scholars, both in its entirety and by region. While the effort for global awareness continues, several nations and multinational institutions have taken formal steps to record this history.
- Armenia: To date, Armenia is the only country to formally recognize the Greek Genocide in its entirety, passing legislation in 2015.
- Greece: The Hellenic Parliament officially affirmed the genocidal policy against Ottoman Greeks from the region of Pontos in 1994, and subsequently recognized the genocide for the regions of Asia Minor in 1998.
- Cyprus: The Cyprus House of Representatives recognized the Greek Genocide in Pontos in 1994.
- Sweden: In 2010, the Swedish Parliament passed a resolution formally recognizing the 1915 genocide against Pontic Greeks, as well as Armenians and Assyrians/Syriacs/Chaldeans.
- Austria & The Netherlands: In 2015, both the Austrian Parliament and the Netherlands House of Representatives recognized the Pontic Greek genocide.
- European Parliament: The European Parliament recognized the genocide in Asia Minor, which includes the Pontos region, in 2006.
The International Association of Genocide Scholars
Independent scholarly consensus is critical in affirming historical atrocities. On December 16, 2007, the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) voted overwhelmingly to officially recognize the genocides inflicted on Greek and Assyrian populations.
IAGS Resolution Details
- The resolution stated that it is the conviction of the IAGS that the Ottoman campaign against Christian minorities between 1914 and 1923 constituted a genocide against Armenians, Assyrians, and Pontian and Anatolian Greeks.
- It called upon the government of Turkey to acknowledge the genocides against these populations, to issue a formal apology, and to take prompt and meaningful steps toward restitution.
- The resolution explicitly noted that the denial of genocide is widely recognized as the final stage of genocide, enshrining impunity for perpetrators and paving the way for future atrocities.
State and Municipal Recognitions
Beyond national parliaments, numerous regional and local legislative bodies across the world have formally recognized the Pontic Greek Genocide.
- United States: A wide array of state governments have issued formal recognitions over the years. These include New Jersey (2002, 2019, 2022), New York (2002, 2005), Pennsylvania (2003, 2004), Florida (2005), South Dakota (2015), Indiana (2015, 2017), Iowa (2016), and Alabama (2019).
- US Cities: Municipalities with strong diaspora ties, such as Norwalk (2004), Cleveland (2005), and Chicago (2006), have also passed specific recognitions regarding the events in Pontos.
- Australia: Legislative affirmations have been successfully passed by the South Australia Lower House (2009), the New South Wales Legislative Council (2013), the Willoughby City Council (2015), and the Tasmanian House of Assembly (2023).