The Assyrian Democratic Organization
However, the trial on Yusuf Akbulut, who is priest of the Syrian-Orthodox church in Diyarbakir/Turkey, aroused interest on the international level. On April 5th, 2002 the judge concluded the case with an acquittal and thus this incident emphasized anewly its importance for the Assyrians.
Rev. Father Yusuf Akbulut had openly commented on the genocide against the
Assyrians and was therefore charged with incitation of the masses.
This process did not only mobilise our people, but drew likewise the attention of the Western governments to the largely unknown injustice. Due to the initiative of the Assyrian organizations in the USA, such as ADO in Chicago, American Congressional Representatives lodged a protest directly with the President of Turkey and mentioned the massacres against the Christians as follows:
“… an Assyrian priest in Turkey, was arrested by Turkish authorities for speaking his mind on the issue of atrocities committed against the Ottoman Empire’s Christian minorities during the First World War…”.
Similar complaints were also addressed to Turkey by the European States, and the Human Rights’ Organizations.
Since its establishment in 1957, the Assyrian Democratic Organization has
(ADO) campaigned for the recognition of the Genocide. First, this topic
was put on focus in the homeland, and for 20 years ADO has been presenting this claim before the Western governments and parliaments. Therefore several initiatives were recently initiated and supported. The most important ones are:
– Two debates in the Swedish Parliament on the topic of the recognition of the Genocide on the Assyrians (March 2001 and March 2202), which came to the conclusion that the Swedish parliament does not question the Genocide of the Assyrians as a matter of fact
– Discussion about the urgent request for the “Condemnation of the Genocide of the Assyrians and Armenians in 1915“ (14/6261 of April, 4th, 2001) in the legal council (June 2001) and in the full assembly of Parliament (July 2001) of the Bavarian County Council
– Commemoration ceremony of “Shato d`Sayfo“ (Engl.: Year of the Sword) in April 2002 in Vienna under the patronage of the President of the Austrian Parliament and under the participation of high ranking politicians of Austria
– Discussion groups with the representatives of several parliamentary alliances within the European parliament
The actions of the Assyrian affiliated organizations in Australia led to the recognition of the Genocide by the government of New South Wales on August, 5th, 2002. This is a historical milestone for the efforts of the Assyrians.
Consequently, the Assyrian Democratic Organization has prepared a plea in
the form of a dossier called “Sayfo 1914-1918: Plea for the Recognition of a Forgotten Genocide – The Assyrians Claim Their Rights“ to set on these initiatives. Hence this file was submitted in cooperation with the Assyrian Institute in Europe, which is established in Brussels, with the International Court of Justice in the Hague/NL. Therein the Genocide is indicated as a crime against humanity, which agrees completely with the
UN and the European Convention of Human Rights, respectively. Therefore the Genocide committed against the Assyrians is to be viewed as a criminal act and condemned all over the world.
Not taking responsible actions at this time surely does not reduce the responsibility of the culprits, for there is no end to the calamity of such a heinous act. There is no worst thing than a state policy intended to eliminate systematically a people with a specific ethnic identity.
In this dossier the facts of the Genocide are illustrated in detail, including the historical context, the sources and the proofs (reports of the surviving eyewitnesses).
Moreover, the above mentioned file will be compared with the theses of the state of Turkey and the international legal position will be quoted.
In the conclusion of this request, in the name of the Assyrian people and their right to remembrance, the following aspects will be emphasized:
– The near-extinction of the Assyrian population caused by the deportation and massacres in the years 1914-1918 represent a Genocide according to the Convention of December 9, 1948 for the Prevention and Punishment of
Genocides.
– The responsible Turkish persons of those times have to be found guilty: guilty of the Genocide committed, guilty of appealing to the Genocide and guilty of accomplice.
– The Turkish state has to accept the responsibility for its crimes during this period. This responsibility includes the duty to clarify and accept officially the Genocide against the Assyrians.
– The Assyrian Genocide is also a crime with international implications. The United Nations (UN) and all its members have the right to demand this clarification and thus to support the Assyrian people in this issue.
We request the worldwide public, the European governments and the Human Rights’ Organizations to support our petition.
November 2002
Assyrian Democratic Organization
Section Europe (ADO)
Assyrian Institute in Europe
Brussels/Belgium
This action is supported by the following organizations:
– Central Federation of the Assyrian Associations in Germany and European Sections (ZAVD)
– Federation Tur Abdin in the Netherlands (FTN)
– Federation of the Assyrian Associations in Sweden (ARS)
– Assyrian Liberation Party (GFO)
– Shuraya Party
– Society of Threatend People (GfbV)
