Mr. Speaker, on May 19, we commemorated the Pontian genocide. On this day of remembrance, we pay tribute to the 350,000 lives lost and hundreds of thousands of others deported due to a tragedy systematically imposed by Turkey between 1914 and 1923. Some 700,000 people disappeared, Pontic families were massacred, a community that had been established for 2,600 years was eliminated. Pontic children, women and seniors were murdered. It was a genocide.
The genocide was part of the broader Greek genocide and was conducted in parallel to the Armenian genocide as part of Turkey's effort to cleanse it of non-Turkish inhabitants. It is our moral obligation to stand in solidarity with the survivors and their descendants, to bear witness to their suffering and to ensure that the truth of these atrocities is never obscured or denied.
The recognition of Pontic Genocide Remembrance Day reaffirms our commitment to truth, accountability and justice. I appeal to all Canadians to sign House of Commons petition e-4929 to officially recognize the entire Greek genocide.