Dear Governor of New York, Mr. George Pataki,

I would like to congratulate and thank you for the Proclamation about the Hellenic Genocide, issued on October 6, 2002. The people of New York should be very proud of that.The systematic extermination of millions of Hellenes (Greeks) is one of the greatest offenses against Humanity ever. The Hellenic Genocide remains as an open wound in the human soul that can only be healed when it's officially recognized in all countries, including Turkey. God bless all of you!

Spyridon N. Nikiforos (Dated October 22nd, 2002)

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EUXARISTO POLY
Honorable Governor George Pataki,

The members of the MEMBER OF KAINAROS FAMILY FROM THE STATES OF NEW JERSEY PENSYNVANIA OHIO FLORIDA AND THE KAINAROS FROM GREECE would like to take this opportunity to express our warmest and heartfelt gratitude for the Proclamation that recognizes the Genocide of the Hellenic population in Asia Minor. We applaud you for supporting the indubitable and undeniable historical facts and thus by supporting the Proclamation you proved once more that America cares. Although Turkey actively suppressed the truth about the slaughter for almost three million of its Christian minorities - Greek, Armenian and Assyrian - during and after World War I and the exile of millions of others, illustrious individuals such as Henry Morganthau did record and documented the facts. Morganthau, the American Ambassador to Constantinople during the era of First World War, in his book "I Was Sent to Athens", written in 1929, verifies the atrocities and war crimes that the Turks committed against the Hellenes of Asia Minor. George Horton, the American Consul General to Smyrna, in his book "The Blight of Asia", recounts the tragic story of the Greek and Armenian populations in Asia Minor at the hands of Moustafa Kemal's "New Turk" army. Most recently, Thea Halo in her celebrated book, "Not Even my Name", tells her mother's story, "…then on the spring of 1920, Turkish soldiers pounded on doors with the butts of their rifles and shouted the proclamation issued by General Kemal: You are to leave this place. You are to take with you only what you can carry…" So ended the three-thousand-year history of the Pontic Greeks who lived peacefully along the Black Sea shore of northern Turkey. Most Honorable Governor, by signing the Proclamation of the Smyrna Catastrophe, you promote the true history to become known, not only to the Hellenes, but you advocate it to humanity. The world should know about the Smyrna Catastrophe. This kind of history should be known by everyone, we must learn that we can't sweep anguish and suffering under the rug and pretend these things never happened. If we do that we promote genocide and allow it to happen again and again. Once again we are very grateful to you for supporting the Proclamation, and thus you pledged to serve the true and genuine historical facts. God Bless you and the State of New York, 

SPIROS KAINAROS (Dated October 22nd, 2002)

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Governor Pataki:,

Thank you for taking the initiative to bring this past history of genocide to light. My grandparents, aunts and uncles, both in this country and those that were displaced throughout Greece and Egypt, were truly affected by what they saw until the day that they died. While those that came to this country felt truly blessed to be part of the American experience during it's greatest era of history, they still endured an enormous amount before they received that sanction and freedom. Thank you for continuing to promote their cause.

George Parasho
Charlotte, NC (Dated October 22nd, 2002)

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Governor Pataki:,

Together with my thanks for your initiative and contribution to our national causes, please let me forward my request: You and all other Greeks in high places in the US politics must convince the Americans that short - term political recipies may favour the US - Turkish coincidence of interests for the moment. The study of history, however, provides a very clear forecast of the long - run results of current political decisions. Given that the longer the series of observations, as statisticians argue, the better the forecast, the Greek history is clearly better off in terms of providing safe forecasts of policy decisions compared to the American history. It would be very useful to the American politicians, therefore, if they would study Greek and European history deeper, only to see that the Turks have never been reliable allies and that the more one offers to them, the more they demand. Thank you once again for your consideration. I remain available for any assistance that you may require.

Yours sincerely

Dr. George A. Zombanakis (Dated October 20th, 2002)

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Dear Governor of New York, Mr. George Pataki,

I would like to congratulate and thank you for the Proclamation about
the Hellenic Genocide, issued on October 6, 2002. The people of New
York should be very proud of that.

The systematic extermination of millions of Hellenes (Greeks) is one
of the greatest offenses against Humanity ever. The Hellenic Genocide
remains as an open wound in the human soul that can only be healed
when it's officially recognized in all countries, including Turkey.
While many already know the Armenian Genocide, most still don't know
that the Hellenes and Assyrians were also victims of the same policy.
Justice cannot prevail until all three Genocides are known to all.
Here's a relevant statement by a eyewitness of the Hellenic Genocide,
the US Ambassador to Turkey, Henry Morgenthau:

"The Armenians are not the only subject people in Turkey which have
suffered from this policy of making Turkey exclusively the country of
the Turks. The story which I have told about the Armenians I could
also tell with certain modifications about the Greeks and the Syrians.
Indeed the Greeks were the first victims of this "

IOANNIS TREZOS
MBA WHARTON SCHOOL'70

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Honorable Governor George Pataki,

"I would like to express my warmest gratitude for your Proclamation that
recognizes the Genocide of the Hellenic population in Asia Minor. The views expressed are purely those of the writer and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European Commission."

Anonymous
European Commission, (Dated October 22nd, 2002)

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Dear Governor Mr. George. Pataki,

The thanks that anybody, any Greek or organization can tell you would not be enough. What the Turks responsible have done to the Greeks mostly and some other ethnics is something that has to be known and not happen again to any other nation. I'm not going to say anything else.

I just wanted to thank you so much. I live in NJ but I'll make it known to anybody that lives in NY what you have done for the Greeks

Tas Goudamanis (Dated October 23rd, 2002)

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I APPLAUD YOUR PROCLAMATION AND WISH TO THANK YOU FOR
YOUR STAND ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM THROUGHOUT THE WORLD,
ESPECIALLY "DEMOCRATIC" TURKEY. WHAT NATION CAN CLOSE
RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS AND DENY ITS CITIZEN THE RIGHT TO PRACTICE
THEIR RELIGION? CERTAINLY NOT A NATION WHICH FEELS IT IS
READY TO ENTER THE COMMON MARKET.

PAUL CLAUDATO
NEW YORK CITY (Dated October 23rd, 2002)

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Governor Patakis,

I wanted to personally thank you for showing concern and taking an
active position to promote and preserve Hellenic tradition and culture. It is refreshing to see a politician taking action against injustices Hellenic culture has suffered at the hands of Turkish conquest. As long as their is a positive voice Hellenic culture will prosper.

Sincerely,

from a SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY Modern Greek studies student

Maria Karkazis (Dated October 23rd, 2002)

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Dear Mr Patakis,

I should like to express my deepest gratitude to you at your
official commemoration of the 1922 genocide of Greek native inhabitants of Asia Minor by Turks. In parallel, I should felicitate you on your courageous stance you
have kept on the matter despite the defamatory and threatening attacks launched against you by Turkish propagators. It is certain that only truthfulness and respect to actual historical facts will lead to the peaceful co-existence of nations, or else similar tragedies are bound to be repeated.

Yours sincerely,
Demetrios Hadjinicolaou (Dated October 24th, 2002)

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Governor Pattaki,

We are peace loving people and we condemn any discrimination which takes place between races, religions, colours etc. As such we cannot but condemn with the strongest terms any kind of genocide. As such the ruthless genocide of those ethnics who lived once upon a time peacefuly within the then turkish state borders cannot but be considered as a cruelty without description, offending all civilised humanity. Greeks were conquered in Asia Minor by acts of war and were obliged to live within the borders of the forcefully established turkish state for centuries; they were oppressed and forced many of them to change religion, from Christians to Muslims. However this was not enough; finally they lost their land and all their property; eventually they were mostly slaughtered or forced to die on forced labour; The few remaining still wait the condenmnation of such an act by the civilised world. Thus your proclamation shows that people like you can stand up and raise a high voice of protest against such acts. We are

For the Hellenic Maritime Technical Consultants Association
The General Secretary
C. Philippou (Dated October 22nd, 2002)

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Honorable Governor Patakis:

My sincere respect and personal thanks for your
Proclamation on Greek Genocide by the Turks.

I had long wished that someone would do that because
this subject has not been adequately covered in the international
press yet. History books in foreign (including Central European)
countries had not aknowledged this subject of Greek history enough up to
this day.

I pray that your efforts will contribute effeciently that this part of Greek history will internationally
receive justice and am greately thankful for your action!

Sincerely,

Dr. Barbara Katsimbari

Germany (Dated October 29th, 2002)

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