THE SYRIAC PRIEST YUSUF AKBULUT SAID: "IT WAS THE KURDS WHO HAD PERPETRATED THE GENOCIDE".

Yusuf Akbulut, the Priest of the Mother Marry Church of the Ancient Syriac Society in Diyarbakir/TURKEY mentioned in his statement that during the World War I, the Syriacs in Diyarbakir and Mardin had been subject to genocide on the grounds that they were Christians. The Christians had been killed in masses. It was the Kurds who had perpetrated the genocide.

Priest Akbulut, made a statement to the Dogan News Agency and said, "I do not support the Armenians, and as a clergyman I am telling the truth". He continued his statement claiming that the Kurdish people living in the area had a role in the genocide of the Armenians and the Syriacs and said:

"In that period the Kurds were preaching, 'whoever kills seven Christians will go to heaven'. The Kurdish people believing in those words got involved in this genocide. Nowadays, the Syriac population on the Syriac territory Mesopotamia is drastically decreased. They had to migrate. However, we are not subject to any pressure now. We are quite comfortable. We are pleased with our lives."

(Daily Hurriyet, October 04, 2000).