Cyprus President honored the memory of 353,000 dead.

On the evening of May 19, 2026, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides unveiled a national monument to the genocide of the Pontic Greeks in Paralimni. The ceremony drew thousands of people. On the same day, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the unrecognized TRNC issued a statement rejecting the classification of the events of 1919 as genocide.

What is the monument and why is it installed in Paralimni?

The idea of the monument belongs to the public association “Nikos Kapetanidis,” and its author was the sculptor Yorgos Kikotis from Thessaloniki. Funding was provided by the Government of Cyprus in conjunction with the municipality of Paralimni Derini under the leadership of Mayor Yorgos Nicolettos.

The sculptural ensemble depicts scenes of the tragedy of 1914-1923: death marches, mass executions, fires and armed resistance in the mountains. At the top of the monument, the number of 353,000 dead is engraved, and pigeons crown it as a symbol of peace.

The site was not chosen by chance: Paralimni is part of the municipality of Paralimni Derini, which borders the occupied territories. It is here, according to Christodulidis, that the Pontic community sees “another Pont” – as it was described by grandparents.

What did the president say at the ceremony?

Christodoulides compared the fate of the Pontic Greeks with the experience of the Cypriots: both communities survived forced exile, lost thousands of dead and hundreds of missing. He recalled the decision to introduce May 19 as an official memorial day in all Cypriot schools.

Education Minister Athena Michaelidou confirmed that teaching the history of the genocide of the Pontic Greeks has become part of the island’s educational system: “In the schools of Cyprus, this has become a legislative act,” she said.

Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos called the genocide of the Pontic Greeks a “historical reality” and a “stain on humanity,” adding that historical memory is everyone’s duty.

What is the genocide of the Pontic Greeks and who recognizes it?

Genocide of the Pontic Greeks – massacres and deportations of Greeks of the Pontic region of Anatolia from 1914 to 1923. Historians estimate that about 350,000 people were killed in executions, death marches and famines. Greece officially recognized the genocide in 1994, this recognition is also shared by Sweden, the Netherlands and Armenia.

Cyprus was among the first countries to recognize the Armenian genocide back in 1975, and also legislated a memorial day in its legislation. Turkey rejects its involvement in the genocide of Armenians and Pontic Greeks to this day.

How did the Turkish-Cypriot side react?

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the unrecognized TRNC described the events of May 19, 1919 as “the first step in the struggle of the Turkish people against enslavement,” rejecting the very concept of genocide in relation to these events. The statement also said that the position of the Republic of Cyprus “incites hostility through groundless allegations.”

The Turkish Cypriot side also called Turkey’s military intervention in 1974 “justified” and called on the Greek Cypriot side to build good neighborliness relations. The Republic of Cyprus does not share this position: unrecognized northern Cyprus is not recognized by any country in the world except Turkey.

https://lenta.cy/v-paralimni-otkryt-pamjatnik-zhertvam-genocida-pontijskih-grekov-prezident-kipra-pochtil-pamjat-353-000-pogibshih/