During World War I and into the 1920s, the Ottoman Empire conducted the first genocide of the 20th century against various religious and ethnic minorities in their territory. One such group was the Pontian Greeks, a long-standing Greek population in present-day Turkey. During this genocide, the Ottoman Empire murdered approximately 353,000 Pontian Greeks, with hundreds of thousands more forcibly removed from their homes or forced to endure the harsh conditions of labor battalions. This tragic period also saw the deaths of over one million Assyrians and Armenians, including the deaths of over 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children. 

 

As public officials, we have a duty to remember and condemn these reprehensible actions to ensure they do not happen again. That is why I am introducing a resolution to designate May 19, 2026, as “Greek Pontian Genocide Remembrance Day” in Pennsylvania. This recognition will provide much needed support to the numerous Pennsylvanians of Greek descent as the world commemorates the anniversary of this tragedy. 

 

Last year, we enacted a resolution to honor the victims of the Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire during this same period. I ask that you join me in extending this remembrance to the thousands of Greeks who similarly lost their lives during this dark period in our world’s history.