PVDA TAKES A STEP BACK; IMMIGRANTS CAUTIOUS
By Basri Dogan

Kitsap Sun, WA
Oct 30 2006

The Dutch Social Democrat Labor Party (PvdA) has backpedaled about
genocide allegations; this after it had removed the names of Turkish
deputies from its electoral lists prior to general elections on Nov.
22 on the grounds that they did not recognize an Armenian genocide.

In a notice distributed to party members, the PvdA administration
termed the 1915 incidents as a "massacre" admitting that no legal
genocide had taken place.

However, Turkish immigrants in the country found party’s attitude
insincere, feeling that the party acted out of political concerns.

In a letter to Amsterdam and Rotterdam party groups, PvdA leader Michel
Van Hulten said there had been massacres following the events in 1915;
however, there had been no legal genocide.

Van Hulten wrote the letter after he met with Turkish origin members
in the party and indicated that there had been a change in the party’s
opinion about an Armenian genocide.

When asked about the party’s opinion, Hulten quoted Turkish origin
candidate Nebahat Albayrak who said, "There were massacres; however,
there is no genocide in legal terms."

Hulten’s letter also mentioned that historians and jurists should
discuss this issue, and added that as the PvdA, they are against the
adoption of the Armenian bill the French National Assembly passed
earlier this month.