Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

US State Department Response to Congressional Letter on Fr. Akbulut
by Assyrian Internation News Agency (AINA) - February 22, 2001
Posted: Saturday, February 24, 2001 at 10:52 AM CT

AINA - On December 12th, 2000, six U.S. Congressmen appealed to the U.S. State Department as well as Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer (AINA 12-21-2000) to intercede on behalf of Fr. Yusuf Akbulut who had been charged with violating Turkey's article 312 for inciting racial enmity (AINA 11-23-2000, 12-04-2000, 12-12-2000, 12-21-2000). The Congressional letter was spearheaded by Congressman Rod Blagojevich of Illinois, a longtime advocate of Assyrian human rights, and cosigned by Congresswoman Anna Esho, an Assyrian, as well as Congressmen Ray LaHood, Frank Wolf, John Porter, and Michael Capuano.

In a U.S. State Department response to Congressman Blagojevich, Mr. Michael E. Guest, Acting Assistant Secretary of Legislative Affairs, stated that "We share your interest in Fr. Akbulut's situation, and will continue to follow his case closely." Mr. Guest also pointed out that "A representative of the U.S. Consulate in Adana traveled to Diyarbakir to attend the hearing, and also met with the chief prosecutor to demonstrate U.S. interest." In an uncharacteristically candid criticism of Turkey, Mr. Guest also stated that "We have long urged Turkey to enhance freedom of expression for all of its citizens, and consistently raise our concern with Turkish authorities about the human rights situation in Turkey."

"A representative of the U.S. Consulate in Adana traveled to Diyarbakir to attend the hearing, and also met with the chief prosecutor to demonstrate U.S. interest .....We have long urged Turkey to enhance freedom of expression for all of its citizens, and consistently raise our concern with Turkish authorities about the human rights situation in Turkey."

Fr. Yusuf Akbulut is an Assyrian priest from St. Mary's Syriac Orthodox Church in Diyarbakir, Turkey who was allegedly quoted by Turkish journalists as affirming the Assyrian-Armenian-Greek Holocaust of 1915. The case has garnered tremendous international attention as a simple matter of freedom of speech as well as an example of ongoing persecution and harassment of the remaining Assyrian community in Turkey .

Turkey's historically abysmal human rights record again captured international attention as numerous foreign diplomats including representatives from the governments of Germany, Sweden, and the US attended the trial on December 21st, 2000. With Turkey's international standing and possible EU membership on the line, the resumption of Fr. Akbulut's trial on February 22nd, 2001 was equally scrutinized by the international community. For the second time, the trial was attended by members of the German and Swedish parliaments and other foreign observers.

In a brazen move, the Turkish judge yet again delayed the trial against Fr. Yusuf to April 5th, 2001 citing that the court needed yet more time to study the case. Later, international observers duly noted that the repeated delays might simply be a not so transparent attempt by the Turkish government to diminish some of the immense international pressure this case has amassed and which Turkey is undoubtedly feeling.

Related Information...

Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News Archives