Diplomatic sources: ‘History outlives propaganda’, in response to Turkish ministry’s Tripolitsa post

Greek diplomatic sources on Wednesday immediately reacted to a Turkish foreign ministry post citing the sacking of Tripolitsa- modern-day Tripoli, in the central Peloponnese – during the early stages of the Greek War of Independence, accusing Ankara of a “ systematic distortion and instrumentalisation of history”, while stressing that such statements do not contribute to fostering a climate of trust between the two countries.

Athens’ response came after a post by the Turkish ministry earlier on Wednesday, marking the 205th anniversary of the fall of Tripolitsa, in which it referred to, among other, to “ systematic massacres” of the Muslim Turkish population of the Peloponnese between 1821 and 1830.

Responding to the Turkish ministry post, Greek diplomatic sources said:

“The systematic distortion and instrumentalisation of history, and the selective invocation of historical memory, do not alter historical facts. This is precisely what today’s post by the Turkish foreign ministry seeks to do.

“Statements of this kind, which run counter to documented historical facts, do not contribute to fostering a climate of trust, mutual understanding and substantive dialogue, nor are…