Turkish diaspora slams Dutch parliament: "Armenian genocide" claim has no basis

Members of the Turkish diaspora in the Netherlands have sharply criticised the Dutch parliament following its recent adoption of what they described as a biased resolution concerning the events of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire.

The diaspora organization Comité Anti-Collaboratie operating in the Netherlands sent an open letter to lawmakers urging them to refrain from actions “lacking legal and historical foundation”, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

The letter drew parallels between the activities of Armenians during World War I and the crimes committed by the Dutch National Socialist Movement (NSB), which collaborated with Nazi occupiers during World War II.

“There are no facts that support the claim of the so-called ‘Armenian genocide.’ It’s all fiction!” said Ali Çağlayan, head of Comité Anti-Collaboratie, emphasising numerous violent acts committed by Armenian groups within the Ottoman Empire.

According to Çağlayan, no international court has ever ruled that the events of 1915 constituted genocide.

“Dutch parliamentarians should take into account the European Court of Human Rights' ruling in the Perinçek v. Switzerland case, as well as the findings of prominent Western historians who have studied the 1915 events—such as Bernard Lewis, Guenter Lewy, and Justin McCarthy,” he said, stressing that subjective parliamentary decisions cannot alter historical reality.

“The only outcome of such populism will be increased hostility and ethnic hatred, which ultimately harms social cohesion,” Çağlayan added.

He also announced that members of the Turkish community in the Netherlands plan to hold a protest outside the Dutch parliament in the coming days.