“The Netherlands must recognize the Armenian genocide”

ANP (Dutch news agency)
April 21, 2004

Parliament

The Hague (ANP) – The Federation of Armenian Organizations in the
Netherlands, on Wednesday, called on the Dutch Parliament to recognize the
genocide on hundreds of thousands of Armenians in Turkey. Turkey too would
have to recognize this crime which began in 1915, before negotiations can
begin for Turkey’s accession to the European Union.

In a petition that the organization submitted to several members of
parliament, the organization spoke of a “forgotten genocide”. The massacre
has already been recognized by several other EU-countries, but not yet by
the Netherlands that tends to portray itself as the “judicial capital” of
the world.

MP Dijksma (Labor Party), chairman of the fixed commission for European
Affairs, received the petition and promised to read the document carefully
and discuss it in view of The Netherlands’s EU-presidency later this year.
Then a date will be set with Turkey to begin the negotiations for accession.
The Federation of Armenian Organizations wants the genocide to be recognized
by Turkey before the negotiations begin. It asks of the Dutch parliament to
adopt this condition.

Socialist Party MP Van Bommel said that it is important to put this
“sensitive issue” on the political agenda. “The Dutch government never uses
the words genocide, recognition and Armenia at the same time. This is a good
opportunity to change that.”

Several dozen demonstrators gathered in front the parliament building to
support the petition.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress