GREEKS AND ARMENIANS MARK ANNIVERSARY OF PONTIAN GENOCIDE

For Immediate Release: May 22, 2010

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

NEW YORK—The Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA) thanks the Armenian
National Committee of America ANCA for marking Pontian Greek Genocide
Remembrance day, and supporting the 91st Anniversary Pontian Greek Genocide
Commemoration in New York City -- that featured as key note speaker the
distinguished Greek-Cypriot author and researcher Mrs. Fanoulla Argyrou .
Together Greeks and Armenians can grow stronger; together we can continue to
build the necessary political will and political power to bring justice for our
cause.

Directly below are the official ANCA Press Releases “ANCA MARKS ANNIVERSARY OF
PONTIAN GENOCIDE “ followed by the recent ANCA press release “91st ANNIVERSARY
OF PONTIAN GREEK GENOCIDE COMMEMORATED IN NEW YORK CITY :

http://anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid=1885
Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918 * Fax. (202) 775-5648 * Email.anca@anca.org


PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release ~ 2010-05-19
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian ~ Tel: (202) 775-1918


ANCA MARKS ANNIVERSARY OF PONTIAN GENOCIDE


Reaffirms Commitment to a Truthful and Just Resolution of all of Turkey's
Genocidal Crimes


WASHINGTON, DC - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) joined today
with Pontian Greeks - and all Hellenes, Assyrians, Syriacs, and other
communities representing the victims of Turkey's genocidal campaign against its
Christian minorities - in commemorating May 19th, the international day of
remembrance for the genocide initiated by the Ottoman Empire and continued by
Kemalist Turkey against the historic Greek population of Pontus along the
southeastern coast of the Black Sea.

"We join with all our brothers and sisters - in the Hellenic, Assyrian,
Chaldean, Syriac, and other Christian communities subjected to genocide under
Ottoman and Turkish rule - in solemnly marking the anniversary of the Pontian
Genocide - a genocide that remains unrecognized by its perpetrator and
unpunished by the international community," said Aram Hamparian, Executive
Director of the ANCA. "In commemorating this date, we reaffirm our determination
to work in concert with all the victims of Turkey's genocidal campaigns to
secure full recognition and justice for these crimes."

The Ottoman Empire, under the cover of World War I, undertook a systematic and
deliberate effort to eliminate its minority Christian populations. This
genocidal campaign resulted in the death and deportation of well over 2,000,000
Armenians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, and Greeks.

The Pontian Genocide has been formally acknowledged by Greece and Cyprus and,
within the United States, by the states of New York, New Jersey, Florida, South
Carolina, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, among others.


----
Armenian National Committee of America
Eastern Region
Tel: (917) 428-1918
Email. garo@anca.org
Internet www.anca.org

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
May 20, 2010
Contact: Garo Manjikian
Tel: (917) 428-1918

91st ANNIVERSARY OF PONTIAN GREEK GENOCIDE COMMEMORATED IN NEW YORK CITY


New York, NY --- The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region (ANCA
ER) joined with a broad range of Greek American associations at the annual
commemoration of the Pontian Greek Genocide held at Bowling Green Park in New
York City. The solemn program coincided with a special flag raising ceremony to
mark the occasion.

The event was organized by the Pan-Pontian Federation of USA and Canada and the
Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York. Gus Tsilfides, Director
of National Issues of the Pan-Pontian Federation of USA and Canada, serving as
the master of ceremonies, addressed the crowd and urged for decisive action for
recognition of the Pontian Genocide. Along with speakers from various Greek
American organizations, the commemoration also included statements delivered by
representatives of Greece and Cyprus, and a keynote speech from distinguished
author and researcher, Fanoulla Argyrou. The event also highlighted statewide
proclamations and resolutions recognizing the Pontian Genocide, and the
Ypsilantis Honor Award presented to the people of Sweden for passing a
resolution to recognize the Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian Genocide.

“91 years on and Turkey is still escaping punishment for those unprecedented
crimes of the past century. Turkey refuses to acknowledge those crimes, refuses
to apologize, the least expected of her, compromise with history and come to
terms with it,” said Argyrou. “Μodern Kemalist Turkey has been created over the
dead bodies of hundreds of thousands of Christian Armenians, Greeks, and
Assyrians, who were ethnically cleansed to pave the way for the new state of
Turkey. It is an established fact that modern Turkey evolved out of the ashes of
one of the most horrific genocides recorded at the beginning of the 20th
century.”

Speaking on behalf of the ANCA ER was Executive Director Garo Manjikian who
stated, “We are, most importantly, here to commemorate the victims of the
genocide - those who were brutally murdered by the Ottoman Turks and the newly
established Turkish Republic. We are also here to demand justice, because all
crimes call for justice. The absence of justice has allowed Turkey to continue
with aggressive policies towards its own minorities and even neighboring
countries. It is an issue that affects us today.”

Highlighted at the event was Rhode Island State Resolution, S2815, that
proclaims May 19, 2010 as “Greek Pontian Genocide Remembrance Day” in the state
of Rhode Island. The Rhode Island State Resolution was introduced by Senators
Leonidas Raptakis, Hanna Gallo, Paul Jabbour, Daniel Connors and Dennis Algiere.
Also noted were proclamations by New York State Senator George Onorato and State
Assembly Member Michael Gianaris.

Earlier in the day, candidate Michael Grimm, running in the Republican primary
race in New York’s 13th congressional district, released a statement
commemorating the Pontian Genocide. “Many people are unaware of the violence
and genocide perpetrated against the Pontian Greek population in Asia Minor at
the hands of the Turkish government during the early part of the twentieth
century, or the genocides that befell the Armenian and Assyrian populations of
the region. It is important for all New Yorkers and all Americans to recognize
Pontian Greek Genocide Remembrance Day because it is only by recognizing these
tragic events will we prevent their repetition in that region of the world and
elsewhere,” said Grimm. Currently representing New York’s 13th district is Rep.
Michael McMahon who opposes Armenian Genocide recognition.

Distinguished speakers and statements from those who could not attend include :
Gus Tsilfides, Director of National Issues, Pan-Pontian Federation of USA &
Canada; Reverend Father John Romas from the nearby historic St. Nicholas church
that was destroyed on 9/11; Vasilios Theodosakis, Chairman, Asia Minor Holocaust
Memorial Observance Committee; Nicholaos Taneris, President, Pan-Thracian Union
of America “Orpheus”; Tassos Efstratiades Esq., President Federation of Hellenic
American Organization of New Jersey; Demetrius Kalamaras Esq., President,
Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York; Garo Manjikian, Executive
Director, Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region; Paul
Kotrotsios, President, Hellenic American National Council; Elias Tsekerides,
President, International Confederation of Pontian Hellenes; Ted G. Spyropoulos,
USA Coordinator, World Council of Hellenes Abroad; The Honorable Evangelos
Kyriakopoulos, Consul, Republic of Greece; His Excellency Mr. Vassilis D.
Kaskarelis, Ambassador to the Republic of Greece; Chistos Mesaratzidis, Colonel,
Republic of Greece Military Attache; Evangelos Tssantzalos, Captain, Republic of
Greece Military Attache; The Honorable Koula Sofianou, Consul General, Republic
of Cyprus; keynote speaker Fanoulla Argyrou, researcher and author; and
Dimitrios Molohides, President, Pan-Pontian Federation of USA & Canada.

--
Garo Manjikian
Armenian National Committee of America
Eastern Region Executive Director
122 W. 27th St. 12th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Tel: (917) 428-1918
Email: garo@anca.org

--
========================
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
========================
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.

To be added to CANA's Action Alert e-mail distribution list, or to introduce
CANA to a friend or colleague, please forward the pertinent name and e-mail
address, with the subject heading "Add e-mail to CANA distribution list", to
cana@cyprusactionnetwork.org

You are encouraged to forward this action alert to five or more individuals who
may have an interest in our e-distributions or in CANA’s mission.

You may post any CANA article, press release or action alert on the internet as
long as you credit CANA and the author(s).