08/19/2021 Turkey (International Christian Concern) –  Turkey deported the President of the Pan-Pontian Federation of Greece, George Varythymiadis, after he came to the country to attend a special religious service with other representatives. The envoy arrived for a liturgy service at Sumela Greek Orthodox Monastery in the Pontic mountains.

The rest of the group was allowed to continue on, but Varythymiadis was detained in transit in the Istanbul airport and eventually deported. Greece’s Foreign Ministry rebuked Turkey and protested the “abusive detention and deportation order” against him.

Pontic Greeks are ethnically Greek and traditionally Christians. Pontic Greeks also suffered during the genocide against Greeks and Armenians at Turkey’s hands.

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