Federation of Armenian Organisations in The Netherlands (FAON)
Address: Weesperstraat 91
2574 VS The Hague, The Netherlands
Telephone: +31704490209
Website:
Contact: M. Hakhverdian
E-mail: [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
Holland: Critical Parliamentary Questions about Minister Rosenthal’s
Position on Armenian Genocide
The Hague, 12 August 2011 – The Dutch Parliamentary factions of Christian
Union (ChristenUnie), Socialist Party (SP), Reformed Political Party (SGP)
and Party for Freedom (PVV) have submitted written questions to Dutch
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Uri Rosenthal. In a letter to the Dutch
Parliament, Mr. Rosenthal spoke about the “terrible events that took place
in 1915” and the necessity for “Turkey and Armenia to start a dialogue on
this question”. He also avoided to use the term “genocide” in his letter.
Since years both in Dutch politics and media the term “Armenian Genocide” is
commonly used. Also by previous Ministers of Foreign Affairs, including the
current vice-Prime Minister Maxime Verhagen, this term is used in
parliamentary debates. It seems that the new Dutch government, under
pressure of Turkey, is turning back the clock.
Mr. Voordewind (Christian Union), Mr. Van Bommel (Socialist Party), Mr. Van
der Staaij (Reformed Political Party) and Mr. Van Roon (Party for Freedom)
ask the Minister whether according to his opinion, these “events” fall in
the category of “genocide” as defined in the Convention on the Prevention
and The Punishment of Genocide, or if not, they would like to know why. If
so, they ask the Minister why this terminology is not used in his letter.
The parties point out to the Minister that at the submission in 2004 of the
“motion Rouvoet” his predecessor Mr. Bot has qualified the content of the
motion as support for his policy. The motion, which then was adopted
unanimously by the Parliament, urges the government to put “the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide constantly and expressly on the agenda” in the
context of negotiations on possible Turkish accession to the EU. The parties
ask the Minister whether indeed a policy change has occurred and if so, what
are the reasons for this.
In his letter the minister states that “it is essential that a candidate
country faces its past history” and that ³accordingly he carries out the
motion by Rouvoet». On the other hand he notes that recognition does not
form any new requirement or condition in the EU negotiations. The parties
ask the minister to substantiate the difference between statements and to
indicate whether to the Minister’s opinion it is possible that Turkey would
join the EU without having dealt with its history.
Members of Parliament finally ask if the Minister is willing, whether or not
in consultation with the mayor of The Hague, to explore the possibilities
for a memorial to the victims of Armenian Genocide elsewhere in The Hague.
Rosenthal wrote in his letter, namely, on the proposal for such a monument
near the building of the International Criminal Court, that this government
does not support or give assistance to such proposal, since this would
conflict with the neutral position of the Netherlands to host the
International Criminal Court (ICC).
Dutch media published about Rosenthal’s letter earlier this week. In an
opinion article in Dutch daily De Volkskrant Christian Union prominent
politicians Van Dijke, Voordewind and Segers severely criticised the content
of Minister’s letter and called on Rosenthal to show more courage. Dutch
weekly magazine Elsevier also paid attention this week to the case. A photo
of Mr. Voordewind at the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Assen illustrates the
article, where he states: “If the Minister is now walking away, the
Parliament should call him to order”. In a reaction, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs told Elsevier, that the present government “like their predecessors
is implementing the motion by Rouvoet”, but that a sharp position of the
Netherlands is not bringing a solution any closer.
The Federation of Armenian Organisations of the Netherlands (FAON) welcomes
the critical questions of the Dutch Parliament, but is very disappointed
with the position of Minister Rosenthal. The assignment of the plenary
chamber, according to Rouvoet’s motion, can not be met by addressing “the
past” or “tragic events” in the EU discussions, but only by respecting the
essential meaning of the motion and thus by putting the “recognition of the
Armenian Genocide” on the agenda in negotiations as well as with Turkey as
on the EU level.