TURKISH CANDIDATE PENALIZED FOR REFUSING TO SUPPORT ARMENIAN CLAIMS

Hurriyet, Turkey
Sept 27 2006

In the Netherlands, a Turkish candidate for MP status in the Social
Democrat Workers’ Party has been removed from the party’s candidate
list following his refusal to acknowledge Armenian claims of genocide
by Turkey.

Ethnically Turkish Dutch citizen Erdinc Sacan was previously on the
list for the upcoming November 22 elections in the Netherlands,
this after being elected to a leadership position in 2003 in the
Netherland’s Brabant State. The leader of the Dutch Social Democrat
Workers’ Party commented on the situation, saying "It was a difficult
decision. But there cannot be any ambiguity within our party with
regards to our stance on this question. The fact that Sacan was not
giving his support clearly to the party on this position left us with
no other choice."