Yusuf Akbulut

Yusuf Akbulut is a Syriac Orthodox priest from St. Mary's Church in Diyarbakır,Turkey. [ [http://www.atour.com/~aahgn/news/20001221m.html Turkish Court Tries Assyrian Priest For Backing Armenians"] , Associated Press, December 21-23, 2000.] [ [http://www.atour.com/~aahgn/news/20001222a.html U.S. Congressional Letter on Fr. Yusuf Akbulut] ] He was arrested by Turkish authorities after stating in an interview that he believed Armenians, Assyrians, Syriacs and Greeks have been victims of a genocide by Turkey. [cite web|url=http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/persecution/pch0028.html|title=Who Remembers the Armenians?|comment=historical retrospective|author=Nicholas Jubber]

A native of Anıtlı (Hah), a village in Midyat district, Father Yusuf Akbulut was approached in October 2000 by reporters from the Turkish newspaper "Hürriyet" and questioned as to his views regarding the Armenian Genocide.Fact|date=September 2008 Father Akbulut responded that not only Armenians but Assyrians were also massacred and, as a direct consequence of his response being made public, he was arrested and charged with inciting racial hatred. [ [http://www.aina.org/releases/sezeralbright.htm U.S. Congressional Letter on Father Yusuf Akbulut] ] He was released after Turkey came under pressure from human rights groups and a campaign organized by Assyrians, Armenians, Syriacs, Greeks and Kurds. [ [http://www.anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid=66 Armenian National Committee of America: UNDER GROWING INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE TURKEY RELEASES ASSYRIAN PRIEST] ]

ee also

*Human rights in Turkey
*Denial of the Armenian Genocide

References