Bot is disappointed in Turkey’s declaration

Reformatorisch Dagblad
Dutch daily newspaper

Wednesday, 31 August 2005

THE HAGUE – The Dutch judgement on Turkey’s declaration not recognising
Cyprus is politically disappointing. Turkey made this declaration
recently when Ankara signed the customs union with ten new EU
countries, among others Cyprus.

Signing of the customs union was a condition of the EU to Turkey to
be able to start accession negotiations on 3 October.

The Netherlands feels that the Turkish declaration is politically
disappointing, according to minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Bot. At
the same time the declaration “does not formally affect the meaning of
the signature” of the protocol with the EU. The government thinks that
legal value of the signature is not damaged by Turkey’s declaration.

The Federation of Armenian Organisations in the Netherlands (FAON)
insisted on Tuesday at the House of Representatives that Turkey must
recognise the Armenian genocide of 1915 before the country can join
the EU. The FAON “sounds alarm”, according to spokesperson I. Drost.
We predict that Turkey will not easily accept her past.

Turkish politicians seem to be prepared to speak from time to time
about the massacres of the Armenians, but in reality they deny the
Genocide.

In a petition, the FAON calls on the Parliament to sharply condemn
the negationist policy. If Turkey nevertheless continues with it, then
it must have consequences for the start of the accession negotiations
between the EU and Turkey, according to FAON.

The Parliament must request of minister Bot to urgently require comply
with all accession criteria, such as complying with human rights,
rights of minorities and freedom of expression.

Bot must on his part persuade his European colleagues of the need to
include recognition of the Armenian Genocide as a condition in the
negotiation document with Turkey. “It is now or never”, Drost said
Tuesday. “This is our last attempt to get recognition incorporated
into a European document.”