He had been quoted in a major newspaper as saying Syriac Christians had been systematically killed by Turks at the beginning of the 20th century. That would coincide with the similar genocide of Armenians at the same time.
Turkey is very sensitive to claims of genocide against minority groups.
A formal recognition of the Armenian genocide by the French National Assembly, and by the European Parliament, last year resulted in a diplomatic flap with Turkey. Turkey remains important to Europe for its strategic position and common border with Iraq which allows overflights to be based there. The arrest of the priest led to warnings that Turkey's bid to join the European Union could face obstacles based on human rights worries. Father Akbulut said before his acquittal that his remarks had been taken out of context. I was not presenting a new idea.