Yannis Vasilis

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Yannis Vasilis (born Ibrahim Yaylalı) is a former Turkish ultra-nationalist[1] turned Turkish-Greek pacifist, activist, promoting and defending of Greek heritage in Turkey. A convinced Turkey nationalist, he joined the Turkish army in 1994 to fight Kurdish insurgencies.[2] Taken captive, his family requested governmental help which was declined on the basis of Yaylali to be a Greek.[2] In 2013, he change his name to Yannis Vasilis.[2]

He was arrested on April 22, 2017,[3] for commemorating online the early 20th century genocides of Greeks and Armenians that same day.[2]

The three charges brought against him were for "insulting the President", "inciting people to disobey laws" and "spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization". Yaylali has been a notable activist in the Hidden Greeks, encouraging Turks to dig and revive their link to their Greek heritage. He was released in 2018.[2]

In 2021, Yaylalı commented on Turkey’s new military campaign in the neighbouring Iraqi Kurdistan. He said that this is a war against the Kurds, not the PKK.[4] He recalled the approach of the Turkish state against the Kurds during the 1990s and stated “We have harmed Kurdish villages in the past quite badly. The villages were burned down. The villagers have been kidnapped and tortured” and added, “But today is much bigger than the 1990s. They now target a community to change the demographics as a whole, and not just in North, but in all parts of Kurdistan.”[4]

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References[]

  1. ^ "Greek and Armenian "terrorists"! Wild comments by Erdoğan, but is he Greek himself?". May 6, 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e News, Hellenic (July 2, 2017). "Free Yannis: Birth of Hidden Greek Movement in Turkey". Hellenic News of America. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  3. ^ "Barış Aktivisti Yannis Vasilis Yaylalı tutuklandı". www.cumhuriyet.com.tr.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Former Turkish army member Yannis Vasilis Yaylalı on Turkey's new offensive: 'This is a war against the Kurds, not the PKKʼ". Medya News. 2021-05-10. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
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