Greece marked its National Day of Remembrance for the Genocide of the Greeks of Asia Minor by the Turkish state, with officials honoring the memory of those who were killed or violently uprooted from their homes a century ago.
"We do not forget the Greeks of Asia Minor who lost their lives, were forcibly displaced, and were forced to leave their ancestral lands," government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said in a statement.
Mr. Marinakis also shared a personal connection, noting that his own great-grandmother's family was expelled from Asia Minor and rebuilt their lives in Patras.
The day of remembrance, legally established by the Greek Parliament in 1998, is observed annually on Sept. 14.
Commemorations, including memorial services and cultural events, were held across the country.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and other state leaders paid tribute on the solemn occasion, which marks one of the most painful chapters in modern Greek history.