DominO123 Posted April 24, 2004 Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 PRESS RELEASE Federation of Armenian Organisations in Netherlands (FAON) 24 April Committee Contact: Mrs. I. Drost Tel: +31- 6 242 725 74 Email: armeensefederatie@hotmail.com April 22, 2004 Recognition Armenian genocide in The Netherlands a step closer THE HAGUE - On April 21, 2004, several hundred protesters urged for recognition of the genocide of 1915 on Armenians in Turkey and expressed necessity for Turkey to recognize the genocide before a date is set for negotiations regarding accession of Turkey to the EU. The Chairman of the Fixed Comission for European Affairs of the parliament, Mrs. S. Dijksma, received the petition given by a survivor of the Armenian genocide in the presence of MPs Van Bommel (Socialist Party), Huizinga (Christian Union) and Van Der Staay (Reformed Party). Next a petition was offered to the Dutch government at the Ministry of General Affairs. The door and mailbox remained closed at the Turkish embassy. The demonstrators had no other choice but to leave the letter on the doorknob. During the demonstration on Plein square in The Hague MPs of the CDA (Christian Democrats, PvdA (Labor Party), GroenLinks (Green Left) and SP (Socialist Party) spoke to the demonstrators. In their speeches the MPs underlined the importance of recognition of the Armenian genocide. Moreover it became clear that the fraction of these parties, who together form the majority in parliament, factually recognize the genocide. With this the recognition in the Netherlands of the genocide on 1.5 million Armenians in the latter years of the Turkish-Ottoman Empire has come a step closer. Although the views of the parties and that of the 24 April Committee concerning the recognition of the Armenian genocide are closely related, there is a difference in the role recognition should play in the decision-making of a date for negotiations with Turkey on the potential accession of this country to the EU. In the next few weeks thoughts will continue to be exchanged betwwen the 24 April Committee and the MPs. The demonstration was the first in a series of activities that the 24 April Comitte of the Armenian Federation has organized with the aim for recogntion by Turkey of the Armenian genocide of 1915. The yearly solemn commemoration of the Armenian genocide will be held this April 24 from 1pm onwards at cemetery De Boskamp in Assen at the Armenian memorial. After laying a wreath, a ceremony will be held in the auditorium of the cemetery. Among others, Freek de Jonge, Paul Scheffer and Leen van Dijke will speak, as well as the ambassador to Armenia in the Benelux, Vigen Chitechian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nairi Posted April 24, 2004 Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 No. Nothing has changed. I don't know why FAON is trying to give false hope. It's not like the fraction didn't recognize the genocide before. In fact, the Dutch government has never explicitly denied the genocide. The Foreign Ministry just doesn't find it relevant enough to discuss in parliament, let alone recognize it right now (read: it's scared of Turkish threats). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gurgen Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 Yes, well, what do you expect from a gouvenment that sponsors the Gray Wolves? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nairi Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 Sponsors? How do you mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gurgen Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 They finance the bastards. At least, they did until recently, I don't really know what the situation is now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nairi Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 Ah, do you mean this? http://www.tweevandaag.nl/index.php?module...cid=2&sid=28153 The city halls subsidise Turkish cultural centers even though they are aware of the fact that some of them condone and spread MHP ideology. Two days after the documentary was aired on 2 Vandaag, Hans Moll wrote about Mehmet Ulger (and Stella Braam) in NRC Handelsblad (the only national newspaper that has guts to write such articles). It's called " 'Ongelooflijk hoe gefixeerd ze zijn op Turkije': Journalist Mehmet Ülger over nationalisme van Turken", April 3, 2004. ("relevants" parts of it were also published in groong). By the way, Dutch city halls also "finance" Dashnaktsakan cultural centers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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