Yannis Vasilis Yaylali, Peace Activist and Journalist Weeks before a critical hearing regarding his asylum status, Yannis Vasilis Yaylali has issued a public appeal seeking solidarity from Greek civil society and human rights organizations. His second-instance hearing to review a previously rejected political asylum application is scheduled for August 3, 2026.
Yaylali, a Turkish citizen who fled to Greece in 2019, maintains that he faces severe political persecution by Turkish authorities. He attributes this threat to his public advocacy for the international recognition of the Greek genocide. He has also spoken publicly about his family's Greek ancestry from Pontus (Turkish: Karadeniz), stating his ancestors were among the many Greeks forced to convert to Islam during the Ottoman era.
His legal counsel, Georgios Tsaousis, stated that the defense will present comprehensive facts before the Independent Appeals Committee. The defense aims to overturn the initial rejection and secure approval for the asylum request.
In an open letter, Yaylali detailed his multi-year legal trajectory for his asylum, noting that he participated in six court sessions between 2021 and 2023. The first-instance authority rejected his initial application, citing potential involvement in war crimes—a finding Yaylali strongly contests and has subsequently appealed.
Yaylali further alleged that during the appeals process, he was notified of a classified, state case file against him containing identical allegations. He noted that the specific contents of the file remain withheld from him due to its restricted security status.
In his letter, Yaylali rejected what he described as external attempts to frame him as an adversary of the Greek state. Formally declaring Greece the homeland of his ancestors, he emphasized that his sole opponent remains the Turkish state, which he accuses of historical genocide and ongoing systematic persecution—a stance that aligns with international assessments, such as Freedom House’s classification of Turkey as a "not free," authoritarian state.
The applicant also suggested that his legal proceedings have been compromised by the recent geopolitical rapprochement between Athens and Ankara. Yaylali noted that the rejection of his initial asylum request directly coincided with a period of intensive bilateral engagements between the two governments.
Concluding his statement, Yaylali warned that deportation to Turkey would inevitably result in his arrest, imprisonment, and potential death under torture. He urged citizens, community groups, and human rights organizations to lobby the Ministry of Migration, the Prime Minister, and the President of the Hellenic Republic to grant his asylum request.
Yaylali's open letter on Twitter read as follows:
Yaylali, a Turkish citizen who fled to Greece in 2019, maintains that he faces severe political persecution by Turkish authorities. He attributes this threat to his public advocacy for the international recognition of the Greek genocide. He has also spoken publicly about his family's Greek ancestry from Pontus (Turkish: Karadeniz), stating his ancestors were among the many Greeks forced to convert to Islam during the Ottoman era.
His legal counsel, Georgios Tsaousis, stated that the defense will present comprehensive facts before the Independent Appeals Committee. The defense aims to overturn the initial rejection and secure approval for the asylum request.
In an open letter, Yaylali detailed his multi-year legal trajectory for his asylum, noting that he participated in six court sessions between 2021 and 2023. The first-instance authority rejected his initial application, citing potential involvement in war crimes—a finding Yaylali strongly contests and has subsequently appealed.
Yaylali further alleged that during the appeals process, he was notified of a classified, state case file against him containing identical allegations. He noted that the specific contents of the file remain withheld from him due to its restricted security status.
In his letter, Yaylali rejected what he described as external attempts to frame him as an adversary of the Greek state. Formally declaring Greece the homeland of his ancestors, he emphasized that his sole opponent remains the Turkish state, which he accuses of historical genocide and ongoing systematic persecution—a stance that aligns with international assessments, such as Freedom House’s classification of Turkey as a "not free," authoritarian state.
The applicant also suggested that his legal proceedings have been compromised by the recent geopolitical rapprochement between Athens and Ankara. Yaylali noted that the rejection of his initial asylum request directly coincided with a period of intensive bilateral engagements between the two governments.
Concluding his statement, Yaylali warned that deportation to Turkey would inevitably result in his arrest, imprisonment, and potential death under torture. He urged citizens, community groups, and human rights organizations to lobby the Ministry of Migration, the Prime Minister, and the President of the Hellenic Republic to grant his asylum request.
Yaylali's open letter on Twitter read as follows:
Since the day I arrived in Greece, I have participated in six court hearings regarding my request for political asylum between 2021 and 2023. The first court rejected my case on the grounds that 'I may have committed war crimes.' Together with my lawyer, we filed an appeal and transferred the case to the higher court. |
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