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The Netherlands did compensate for omission on Armenia
Haagsche Courant (Dutch daily newspaper)
January 4, 2005
By Inge Drost
Just before the Christmas Holidays the House of Representatives has
unanimously adopted a motion of Christian Union leader André Rouvoet in
which Turkey is asked to recognise the Genocide of the Armenians in 1915.
With this action the Netherlands rehabilitated itself as a country of the
international law. In spite of the recall of the European Parliament and in
spite of efforts of minister Bot the Dutch EU Presidency did not succeed to
regulate this question at European level. In the motion of Rouvoet the Dutch
government is asked to bring up continuously and expressly the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide in the dialogue with Turkey. Minister Bot
considered the motion as a support for his policy and for this reason he
even Œwelcomed¹ it. With the unanimous support of the parliament and the
government at least now in the Netherlands the era of the taboo around the
words ŒArmenian genocide¹ has been definitely closed. End of era, end of
taboo: naturally it would have been better if this new sound had sounded
loudly and clearly at the European Union summit on 17 December. But finally
the important fact is the message to Turkey, who will have, under European
observance, to consider her own past, how painfully it is. The message is
arrived: in Turkey it has been already regretted that as thanks for the
Dutch Presidency a street in Ankara was named Holland Road. It is still to
be hoped that now a start will be made for the recognition of the Armenian
tragedy and for the reconciliation with the past.
Inge Drost represents the 24 April Committee of the Armenian Federation
Haagsche Courant (Dutch daily newspaper)
January 4, 2005
By Inge Drost
Just before the Christmas Holidays the House of Representatives has
unanimously adopted a motion of Christian Union leader André Rouvoet in
which Turkey is asked to recognise the Genocide of the Armenians in 1915.
With this action the Netherlands rehabilitated itself as a country of the
international law. In spite of the recall of the European Parliament and in
spite of efforts of minister Bot the Dutch EU Presidency did not succeed to
regulate this question at European level. In the motion of Rouvoet the Dutch
government is asked to bring up continuously and expressly the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide in the dialogue with Turkey. Minister Bot
considered the motion as a support for his policy and for this reason he
even Œwelcomed¹ it. With the unanimous support of the parliament and the
government at least now in the Netherlands the era of the taboo around the
words ŒArmenian genocide¹ has been definitely closed. End of era, end of
taboo: naturally it would have been better if this new sound had sounded
loudly and clearly at the European Union summit on 17 December. But finally
the important fact is the message to Turkey, who will have, under European
observance, to consider her own past, how painfully it is. The message is
arrived: in Turkey it has been already regretted that as thanks for the
Dutch Presidency a street in Ankara was named Holland Road. It is still to
be hoped that now a start will be made for the recognition of the Armenian
tragedy and for the reconciliation with the past.
Inge Drost represents the 24 April Committee of the Armenian Federation